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Page 7* 







Silas Gower’s Daughters 


/ 

ANNETTE LUCILLE NOBLE, 

AUTHOR OF 


UNDER shelter/’ ST. AUGUSTINE’s LADDER,” “ ELEANOR 
■WILLOUGHBY,” ETC., ETC. 



PHILADELPHIA : 

PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OP PUBLICATION, 

1334 CHESTNUT STREET. 

yiii 


or 


'P'Z-’l 


Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1878, by 

THE TRUSTEES OF THE 

PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 


• 1 

y. v-v/' 




Westcott & Thomson, 
Stereotypers and Electrotypers, Philada, 


V 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER I. 

PAGE 

The Gower FAmLY. 5 

CHAPTER II. 

One Sabbath 37 

CHAPTER III. 

Diplomacy 59 

CHAPTER IV. 

The One Brother 71 


CHAPTER V. 

A Friend Found and a Friend Lost 91 

CHAPTER VI. 

Jessie’s Plans 120 

CHAPTER VII. 

What Janet Did 134 


.3 


4 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER VIII. PAGK 

The Record 151 

CHAPTER IX. 

Vacation 180 

CHAPTER X. 

Janet’s “Surphise” 223 

CHAPTER XI. 

Alvira’s Visit 247 

CHAPTER XII. 

The Brother Again 275 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Lighter Days 285 


CHAPTER XIV. 


Tidbits and his Father, 


298 


Silas Gower’s Daughters. 


CHAPTER I. 

THE GOWER FAMILY, 

'DRICKTOP CORNERS was as ugly a 
little spot as could well be found in the 
heart of a lovely country. Beyond the hills 
that encircled it were fresh, sweet pastures, 
where fat kine stood in the lush grass or 
waded in the clear shallow river edged with 
green bulrushes and spicy mint. There 
were yellow wheat-fields, picturesque wood- 
lands and pretty hill-slopes, over which 
the summer shadows slipped back and forth 
at play, while quiet grass-grown roads wound 
in and out under old elms. But all this 
beauty was quite outside of Brick top Cor- 
ners, where clustered the church, the store, 
the tavern and a few streets of dingy houses. 


6 


SILAS GO WEE’S DAUGHTEES. 


mostly brick. There were nowhere the 
signs of abject poverty, but everywhere evi- 
dences of the graceless — the beauty-barren 
living of people who abide near to Nature 
without borrowing any of her beauty, and 
who value existence in a community chiefly 
on account of being near a grocery, a doctor 
or a tavern. 

One of the largest of the houses was a 
framed one, standing apart from others in 
the South Corner.” Its front yard was 
full of gnarled old apple trees, v/ith here 
and there a hencoop or a beehive set down 
at random. A spotted calf, tied to a stake 
not far from the front door, had demolished 
a clump of pink hollyhocks, the only flowers 
on the place. The door itself stood open, 
showing a square room, evidently the parlor. 
It had a huge-patterned red and green 
ingrain carpet, six cane-seated chairs, a 
slippery black sofa and a slate-colored 
wooden mantel. On this was a vase of tall 
grasses, so stiffened with alum as to stand like 


THE GOWER FAMILY. 


7 


broom-corn, and against the wall were six 
old-fashioned ambrotypes, all open, while 
higher up hung a certificate of somebody’s 
relationship to an agricultural association. 
The only book there was in the hands of a 
young girl, who had just come in and 
stopped a moment to read its concluding 
page ; this done, she went to the outer door. 
She was a girl of no very exceptional come- 
liness of face or figure, yet in spite of a 
dark homely dress and no pretty girlish 
adornments her features were attractive. 
Her delicately moulded chin was firm enough 
to express considerable character, and her 
dark blue eyes had in them promise of 
thoughtfulness; still, the expression of her 
countenance was childlike and a little dis- 
contented. 

It was about six o’clock of a summer day, 
and Neil Gower watched the men coming 
over the hills from their work on the farms 
beyond, and the few wagons driven out by 
the farmers’ wives or daughters who had 


8 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


been in to trade. These clumsy vehicles 
lumbered up the road, leaving thick clouds 
of dust and awaking echoes after they 
had disappeared behind it. A quite differ- 
ent carriage rolled lightly along after a 
while — a pretty phaeton — noiselessly follow- 
ing a cream-colored pony. There was a 
young girl alone within it, fair and clothed 
in some blue fleecy fabric. She did not 
look toward the big frame house or toward 
the girl in the dark gown. Neil Gower had 
not expected that she would do so ; she was 
not thinking of that, only admiring the 
passer-by. She knew her to be the only 
daughter of a wealthy manufacturer. She 
had lately come home after several years of 
city life in a boarding-school, and was the 
object of much curiosity at the Corners. 

As the young girl passed Neil recalled a 
description Miss Phipps the dressmaker had 
given her of this Jessie Bromley’s room, 
newly furnished for her in blue and gilt — 
how her curtains were lace over silk, and the 


THE GOWER FAMILY. 


9 


ceiling all gold stars in the most beautiful 
faint blue sky, and the lamps were stalks of 
lovely white lilies. Neil had never in her 
life seen a really handsome room, and such a 
report sounded like a tale of far-off splendor. 
She was picturing it to herself when the 
strokes of a noisy bell clashed through the 
room behind her and a loud feminine voice 
shouted, ‘‘ Supper is ready Neil turned 
about, for the last glimpse of the blue dress 
had disappeared over the highest hill-top. 
She did not go through the house, but 
walked down the steps and around the house 
angle, where stood a weather-beaten hogs- 
head under the water-pipe from the eaves- 
trough. On this side lay the kitchen-gar- 
den, mostly given up to beets and cabbages. 
Around one more angle was the long well- 
sweep, the barns and the open kitchen door. 

This kitchen was really the pleasantest 
room in the whole house, because it was 
well warmed or ventilated according to the 
season, and furnished with almost all suitable 


10 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


articles for use, and some for comfort. 
Thence had sounded out the bell for supper, 
and within the meal was spread. The table 
had plates for six, but no one was there 
except Alvira Higgins, who presided in place 
of the mother who had been dead five years. 
She was cutting brown bread in glum silence, 
but in a moment the rest of the family ap- 
peared. Janet, aged sixteen, was a healthy, 
robust girl, with a louder voice than Neil 
and a certain head-toss and air of self- 
assertion lacking in her younger sister. She 
turned abruptly to Bob, her small brother of 
six, and set him down in his high chair with 
a forcible suddenness which he resented by 
striking out at, her ribs with his mite of a 
hand. Bob looked like a gutta-percha 
image ; his legs were short and fat, his head 
as yet too big for him, and his face was a 
combination of twinkling eyes, upturned 
nose, puckers and winks. Still, Bob had a 
good deal of character, such as it was. 

Emerging from the tin wash-basin behind 


THE GOWER FAMILY. 


11 


the door, soon came another countenance, 
dripping with water ; its owner dried it on a 
crash towel, then turned it, red with friction, 
toward the supper-table. This was Tibbits, 
the elder son and heir. Tibbits was a hard- 
working, silent fellow, with reddish-yellow 
hair and sunburned cheeks, accounted by 
the world of Bricktop Corners as ‘^sensible 
enough, but nothing uncommon.’’ The 
children were seated when Silas Gower, 
their father, appeared in the open door hold- 
ing something outstretched in his hand. 

Who peeled the potatoes this noon ? 
Let me know that.” 

‘‘Neil did,” answered Janet coolly, look- 
ing over the not very lavish repast. 

“ I thought likely. Look at this skin ! 
I found the best part of half a dozen 
potatoes out there in the pigs’ pail — skins 
sliced off half an inch thick. Always boil 
them with their skins on to save waste.” 

Neil answered wearily, “ I could not pare 
them thinner without a razor.” 


12 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS 


She knew her father’s anger was partly 
simulated in order to teach what he con- 
sidered a lesson of vital importance in 
domestic economy. If it had not been the 
potatoes before supper, it probably would 
have been the too thick slices of bread cut 
during supper. 

Alvira Higgins, with a sort of fine disdain 
on her sallow visage, saw him drop the 
j)otato-skin into the fire and sit down at the 
table, after which she poured him a cup of 
weak green tea and filled a cup with milk 
for Bob. 

“ Alvira, did you see that Bromley girl 
riding by ?” asked Janet after a while. ‘‘ I’d 
like to know how it would seem to have noth- 
ing to do but to dress up and career around 
behind a coffee-colored nag.” 

‘‘ Nonsense and folly !” grumbled her fa- 
ther, ‘‘ keeping a fancy horse to eat its head 
off! The girl had better be learning how to 
earn her salt in case she has to. What would 
keep her out of the county house to-morrow 


THE GOWER FAMILY. 


13 


if Bromley lost his money, as I'm all the 
time doing? What'll keep girls out?" 

If the work I have had to do could, 
that would," retorted Janet, decidedly. 

Look at the butter I have made to-day ; and 
it is the last I shall churn until I get the 
pay for that I have packed down." 

“I paid you," said her father shortly. 

He never gave the girls spending-money — 
he thought it a poor plan — but he let them 
work for small rewards. 

“ No, sir, you are mistaken. — Isn't he, 
Alvira?" 

Yes," said the glum spinster. 

Mr. Gower finished his supper, pushed 
back his plate and drew from his breast- 
pocket an old leather wallet, pushing out of 
sight the larger bank-bills it held, and look- 
ing for change. Finally, after a little con- 
tradiction, he paid the sum demanded by 
his shrewd daughter. Neil looked at the 
wallet, half opened her lips to speak, and 
then closed them again. Bob begged for a 


14 


SILAS GO WEE’S DAUGHTERS. 


big Canadian penny he espied, and did not 
get it. Tibbits ate his supper without a 
word, and then went to the barn to do the 
evening ’work, his father soon following. 
As soon as the latter was out of sight Janet 
ran off to the pantry, and returned with a 
dish of baked pears. Bob stood up in his 
chair and waved his knife and fork at sight 
of them. 

What’s up now ?” asked Alvira. 

‘‘ Have one. Miss Higgins ?” said Janet. 

Alvira glanced at the pears scornfully, and 
went on removing the dishes, not clearing 
them ; that had been done already. She did 
not accept the proffered pear, because she 
seldom did accept anything pleasant. If 
she had been a Eoman Catholic, one might 
have suspected her of a prolonged penance. 
She was not cross or actually morose, but 
she would have explained the fact by saying 
that life in general seemed to her an expe- 
rience so unpleasant that a little more or less 
satisfaction did not signify. But Janet and 


THE GOWER FAMILY. 


15 


Bob ate the pears, for these children usual- 
ly finished their meals with the regulation 

desire for a little more,’’ said by certain 
authorities to be conducive to sound health. 

‘‘That butter-money goes for something 
new,” said Janet. “ It is about time I had a 
summer lawn.” 

“ What is Neil going to do for a dress ?” 
asked Alvira. 

“That is her lookout,” returned the girl. 

The father’s step was heard, and Janet 
darted into the pantry. Neil helped Alvira 
put the kitchen in order, while Mr. Gower 
took his pipe and went out to sit on the door- 
step, with the calf for company. 

It was yet some time before dark, and 
Janet appeared to say that she was going to 
the “ store.” It was Saturday evening, and 
the little town would be quite lively. She 
could buy her dress and have it to work on 
early in the week, besides having a little 
gossip and making some plan to while away 
her time on Sunday. 


16 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


Of the blessing of a Sabbath kept holy 
as a day more precious than any of the other 
six, Janet knew little and cared less. 

‘‘ Alvira,’’ said Neil, when they were left 
together, “ do you suppose there is the 
least chance that father will let me go to 
school next week? The academy opens 
with new teachers.^’ 

‘‘Is it free?” 

“ Yes, or I never would expect to go. 
Janet don’t want to go, but it seems as if I 
must, I should have to buy a calico dress, 
and maybe a book or two.” 

“ Then give it up at once. I heerd him 
vow he’d never pay another cent after the 
last gogerfy he bought. He said it was 
perfect nonsense.” 

Neil sadly seated herself by the window 
to meditate, and concluded she could not do 
more than put the question to test, particu- 
larly as Janet was not by to hinder or inter- 
fere. She saw her father rise up and knock 
the ashes out of his pipe, as if he were going 


THE GOWER FAMILY. 


17 


away. It was her one chance, and she must 
improve it ; so she stepped quickly out : 

“ Father, could I have a little money V' 
Money! What for?’’ 

“ To buy me a dress.” 

‘‘ What ails the one you have on ?” 

‘‘ It is dark and old, and very thick.” 

“ Nonsense! So is my coat, but I ain’t go- 
ing to throw it away, for all that. When 
you have a good thing, stick to it. I’ve 
had to pay a year’s taxes this afternoon.” 

“ But, father, I have nothing cool to wear. 
It would be better economy to save this until 
winter again.” 

‘‘Glad to hear you use the word ‘economy.’ 
Just try for once to find out its meaning.” 

“Then,” continued Neil with a nervous 
shrinking of her slender frame, “ you know 
school begins Thursday, and I think I ought 
to go.” 

“And I think,” said Mr. Gower, “the 
sooner you put that out of your head the 
better. I know what this superfine educa- 
2 


18 


SILAS GOWEE^S DAUGHTEES. 


ting does for girls. Look at Bromley ^s. 
You’d be wanting one of my farm-horses to 
drive next, and the threshing-machine sold 
for a coach. No; you girls have just got to 
come down to hard work and common sense 
so long as you live under my roof. — Alvira!” 
he shouted in conclusion, ‘‘have you any 
eggs for the grocery?” 

In answer to the shout, Alvira appeared 
with six dozen. Mr. Gower took them and 
went away. Neil did not show any emotion 
whatever until he was out of sight; then 
ghe sat down melancholy, and when Alvira 
joined her the tears were rolling one after 
the other down her cheeks. 

“I wouldn’t fret over a new dress, Neil. 
You never go anywhere, so you can manage 
without one.” 

“ It isn’t just the dress, Alvira.” 

“Well, the school, then. You might, 
maybe, have more torment a-carryin’ the 
thing out than you’d get satisfaction. 
Sometimes ’tain’t no use.” 


THE GOWEB FAMILY, 


19 


“ You have said it now/’ returned Neil. 

It isn’t the dress, the school, nor any one 
thing ; it is the no use in anything. I be- 
lieve I’m dreadfully sick of being, Janet 
makes father think I hate work. I don’t like 
it just for its own sake, as she seems to, but 
I can and do work. You know, Alvira, it is 
not that. It is because it comes to nothing, 
and I don’t get anything out of it to interest 
me. Now, Janet has got her butter-money, 
and she will buy new finery of some sort ; 
and the making and wearing of it will 
satisfy her until next time. It would not 
me. I’d want to have something beyond, 
that I was looking forward to ; but with us 
there never is any such beyond, no reason 
for doing anything. It makes me ’most wild 
sometimes, Alvira. We cook and we scrimp, 
wash dishes and skim milk, go to bed and 
get up ; then do it over again, as if it never 
would end. If we were poor there would 
seem to be more — I don’t know what — duty 
or excitement about it ; but we know father 


20 


SILAS GOWER'S DAUGHTERS. 


must be rich. Not that it is money I want. 
You know I never keep account of my extra 
work and get pay for it as Janet does; I 
can’t, some way. I don’t know what I would 
like unless it — Were ever any of mother’s 
folks crazy, Alvira?” 

Sakes alive ! Not as ever I heard. Do 
let’s know why.” 

Oh, because the only pleasure I know 
of or imagine seems like crazy people’s 
freaks.” 

‘'What is it?” 

“ Well, once when I went on an errand in to 
old Deacon Clapp’s, he was reading out loud. 
I thought it was the Bible, only it was like 
poetry. It was about God and his being so 
rich ; it seemed as if it was what he himself 
said. I overheard this : ‘ Every beast of 
the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a 
thousand hills. If I were hungry I would 
not tell thee ; for the world is mine and the 
fullness thereof.’ All like that, in a sort of 
grand pride. Well, I would like not to be 


THE GOWER FAMILY. 


21 


afraid of God, as I am wlien I really think 
of him as having every one of us in his 
power. If I thought of him as that poetry 
sounded, I would like to live away from peo- 
ple among hills and woods — to work of 
course, but not to be driven, and never again 
while I lived to hear what things cost — to see 
splendid sunrises, sunsets and quantities of 
outdoor things that are recklessly common 
and don’t cost a penny. Oh, I can’t tell you 
how it came to me that God was rich and 
yet so generous. It would have been men’s 
way to have put a price-mark on every 
unusually handsome tree.” 

What would you do, come winter ?” asked 
Alvira, thinking prosaically of Neil’s ideas. 

Oh, I’d choose a climate where it never 
was cold.” 

‘‘ And you wouldn’t have a creature to say 
boo to. You are mighty independent, it ap- 
pears to me.” 

I would like sometimes to see you, and 
I would want to know the rest were all well 


22 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


without me. I hope I am not hard-hearted, 
but I do not seem to need many people. I 
suppose it is because nobody needs me. I 
do get dreadfully lonesome, though, some- 
times.” 

“ Yes, it is natural enough to some when 
they are your age ; they are full of drawin’s 
here and pullin’s there, and queer notions. If 
it ain’t iniquity of some sort they are up to, 
they get minching and sentimental-like.” 

Nonsense, Alvira ! I detest sentimental 
folks ; they are like Sue Clarkson, who 
wears her hair down her back and writes 
verses.” 

Maybe you would too if you knew how 
or could spare the time. I wouldn’t insure 
you agin it ; girls is girls.” Then, seeing the 
disgust on Neil’s face, she added, more sym- 
pathizingly, I do myself think you ought 
to have a change — school or something.” 

That is out of the question,” returned 
Neil, moodily. 

The two sat quietly, while the lingering 


THE GOWER FAMILY. 


23 


color of the sunset faded quite out of the sky, 
and the crickets and tree-toads chirruped 
noisily in the grass and foliage. 

In certain respects Alvira Higgins was as 
unlike Neil Gower as Neil was unlike Janet; 
but while there never was any real inter- 
change of earnest thought or feeling between 
the sisters, in some way or another there 
was just this between Neil and the house- 
keeper. Janet was Alvira’s “ right-liand 
man ” in all great household undertakings. 
It was she who advocated and occasionally 
brought about innovations in her father’s 
regime, so that she considered herself sim- 
ply indispensable to the home as well as to 
Alvira; and perhaps she was. Still, Neil 
and the full-grown woman met on grounds 
never trodden by Janet, and Alvira was far 
from thinking Neil a superfluous member of 
the family. To-night, after a long silence, 
Neil suddenly exclaimed, '‘Alvira, are you 
pious ?” 

The blood flushed up toward Alvira’s high 


24 


SILAS GOWER^S DAUGHTERS. 


cheek-bones. She did not for a moment 
answer, then she said, I might be one 
kind, but I won’t ! I don’t know how to be 
t’other, or I would.” 

‘‘ Are there two ways ?” asked Neil, 
curiously. 

‘‘As nigh as I have made out from 
observation.” 

It was Neil’s turn to be silent. She was 
thinking what were her own ideas of piety, 
and finding them very vague indeed. It 
would have been difiicult to have found in 
a nominally Christian community children 
more ignorant of religion, either as regards 
its forms or its spirit. 

“ What are these two things ?” she said at 
last. 

“ Well, folks called the widow Simmons 
pious,” said Alvira. “ I lived with her once, 
and ’tain’t for me to say she was not, but I 
don’t feel no call to pattern after her. She 
went to church regular and she paid her 
honest debts — when she had to; but that 


THE GOWER FAMILY. 


25 


knot of a woman hadn’t no more lovin’ 
kindness in her than a grindstone has honey. 
She’d scold, scold, all day, and take the 
evening to tell the rest of the family how 
wicked they’d been. Maybe they had, 
because she’d a way of fetching any ugli- 
ness there was around right up to the sur- 
face. She used to be always explaining 
j)rophecies, and searching the Bible to find 
texts to contradict the minister with. I 
never could admire her.” 

I should think not,” said Neil with 
decision. ‘‘ Now, what was the other kind?” 

Alvira hesitated and showed a new sort of 
embarrassment for her ; it was as if she was 
abruptly called upon to bring to light some- 
thing she had thought so much about that 
secrecy had made the subject sacred. 

Well, I never did tell you mucli about 
little Mrs. Strong I lived with before I came 
here. She was a widow too, and had four 
of the beautifulest children you ever saw. I 
kept house for her and nursed her nigh onto 


26 


SILAS GOWEB^S DAUGHTEBS. 


three years. She had been high up in socie- 
ty, and knew what fashion meant, and beauty 
too ; for she had it ; but she never seemed to 
care for all that, and when her husband died 
she just lived for her little folks — fine bright 
children, if ever there were such. Well, I 
hadn’t been very long with her before I 
kept asking myself what made her so differ- 
ent from everybody I had known before. 
She was so good, so tender-hearted to the 
poor and the sick and the miserable. It was 
not just that, either — there is plenty as is 
that : she was patient and forgiving to ag- 
gravatin’, ugly persons. If anybody abused 
her (and folks were envious and the neigh- 
bors said hateful things about laziness; for 
you see she was delicate and couldn’t 
work), why, she would lay herself out to 
do them very people some real friendly 
turn. 

By and by she had a cancer. Dear me ! 
if there is a horrible, horrible thing on the 
face of this earth, it is for a person to have 


THE GOWER FAMILY. 


27 


sucli a tiling as that! It was wrongly- 
treated some way, and I pray the Lord I 
may never see anybody suffer so again. At 
last it was cut out, and then in six months it 
came back worse than ever; and she lived 
eight months longer before she died. You 
wouldn’t listen to me if I tried to tell you 
of that sickness ; and that isn’t the pint, 
either, that I’m gettin’ at. It was that wo- 
man’s piety, and what it meant to her, and 
how I’d give anything to have her kind, and 
don’t understand it. She never fretted ; she 
never complained. I’ve seen her, after such 
agony that I had to stand and wipe drops 
like rain off her face, — I’ve seen her smile 
and say, ‘ I’m that much nearer heaven, 
Alvira.’ It was Bible with her about all 
the time ; she didn’t read so much ; she 
did not need to, for it seemed as if she had 
it at her tongue’s end. Such loving, com- 
forting, happy sort of Bible-talk, too. I 
never heard her exjilain about vials and 
seals and prophecies, like Widow Simmons. 


28 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


Tlie Bible was a different book to her. It 
was all about God and Jesus Christ, and 
nothing gloomy or awful. She didn’t fear 
death no more than you’d fear to go up stairs 
to bed after one of our hardest day’s works. 
She wasn’t self-righteous, either ; I’ve heard 
her speak of her sinful heai-t. Dear me ! 
when she did it I felt such a sense of how 
wicked I must be, I wanted to go and lie 
right down in the dirt — seemed as if I must 
be too bad to live if she was sinful.” 

She must have been born so,” said 
Neil. ‘‘She never could have made her- 
self that way. I know I never could. I 
have read of a few such people, and it is 
discouraging. Was she all taken up with 
talking about heaven and death when she 
was well ? I suppose she never liked fun 
or the things of this world.” 

“She always seemed to like to think of 
heaven, but she liked everything pretty and 
cheerful. The very day she died she asked 
me to fill her a vase with roses, and told me 


THE GOWER FAMILY. 


29 


where to find some gay bows and beads for 
the children’s dolls. They would come and 
fetch her all their funny notions and con- 
trivances to laugh at, and up to the very 
last she would try to do it if the pain would 
let her.” 

Why, then she didn’t make hard work 
of being pious, or do it with a great fuss and 
ceremony ?” 

‘‘No, she did not.” 

“ I wonder how she made herself lihe 
reading the Bible ?” said Neil, remembering 
the perfectly fresh paper and shining black 
cover of the large book that for years had 
lain undisturbed on the little stand in the 
dark corner of the parlor. — “ Alvira, do you 
love Bible-reading ?” 

Alvira blushed again : “ No, I can’t truly 
say I do. About a year ago I said to my- 
self, ‘Alvira Higgins, you shalU ” She hesi- 
tated, then went on: “‘Yes,’ I said, ‘you 
shall begin at the first word, and study the 
sense of every line till you understand the 


30 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


whole of it/ I went at it that way every 
night, no matter if I was tired as a dog. I 
got three-fourths through Leviticus, and I 
come to the conclusion if I was a-getting 
pious at all, it was in Mrs. Simmons’s way, 
instead of in Mrs. Strong’s, and so I held 
up my efforts at reading.” 

“ What do you suppose was the trouble ?” 
asked Neil. 

It passes me to tell. I’m fearful thick- 
headed about book-learnin’, and ain’t got no 
— what you might call range of idees. I 
just wanted to find out how to be gentle and 
kind and forgivin’, and that didn’t seem to 
tell me. I wanted to know what would 
keep cold shivers from creepin’ all over me 
when I saw a coffin and an open grave, and 
thought of the judgment-day, and when I 
woke up nights and thought over my sins; but 
I haven’t got to it yet. Or even if I could 
put that all out of my head, I wanted 
something to make this life I am a-livin’ 
a little more than just a breathin’ up so 


THE GOWER FAMILY, 


31 


mucli air, eatin’ so mucli provision, and 
standing just so many dull days.” 

Oh, Alvira !” cried Neil, passionately, 
“ have you felt all that too ? Do you think 
there is anything you or I could do or be ? 
or is it only for a few who are made so, this 
happiness and goodness?” Then less con- 
fusedly, but not less vehemently, she con- 
tinued : Some days I think there must be a 
way of living and thinking better a great 
deal than any we know; then it grows all 
dull again — scrimping, saving, and getting 
so tired of it all, maybe quarreling with 
Janet. Do you think there is any help, 
Alvira?” 

“If there is anything better I haven’t 
found it yet, and I’ve wanted it long 
enough,” said Alvira. gloomily. “ It is no 
use. What you are, that you are — at least 
seems so to me. You, being young, maybe 
can make something of yourself.” 

“ I should not know where to begin,” said 
Neil sadly. 


32 


SILAS GOWEB^S DAUGHTEBS. 


Alvira was carrying on a sombre retrospect 
of lier past life, and did not heed the girFs 
precise words. She said, ‘‘Yes, with me it is 
different : I never had much of a chance or 
a choice at anything. If you think your- 
self cramped, you ought to have known me 
at your age. Father was one of the earli- 
est settlers here, poor as poverty, and sick 
besides. Mother died when I was thirteen, 
and left me to take care of seven children. 
We all weathered it through, but when I 
came of age my hands were horny with 
hard work, and if I knew how to read and 
spell, it wasn’t by reason of my schoolin’. 
There wasn’t no church, or maybe I’d ha’ 
got into the way of goin’ and not neglected 
it since : folks learn that way. I s’pose I’m 
too old now.” 

At this moment Neil heard Janet’s voice 
at the gate. From some undefined impulse 
she slipped back through the open door, and 
left Alvira to listen alone to the narration of 
her exploits, her wonderful bargains and all 


THE GOWER FAMILY. 


33 


the village gossip. Alvira received it in 
silence, until at last, just in the middle of 
Janet’s telling how she beat down the dry- 
goods clerk on her pink muslin dress,” the 
housekeeper rose up, saying, 

“ It is Saturday night, and I’m going to 
bed ; I’m tired.” 

Espying Bob gayly chasing fireflies in 
the long grass, she called, Come, Bob ! 
it is time you were asleep;” but Bob just 
then discovered the light, not of an insect, 
but from his father’s pipe as Mr. Gower 
came down the hill toward home. He rushed 
out of the yard and up the path to meet 
him. There are few men whose hearts are 
without some soft corner. Mr. Gower had 
one such, and Bob knew the straight road to 
it. When the child’s mother died she said 
to Silas, ^^Be good to the 5a%;” and Bob 
was likely to keep his power long after the 
right to his title had departed. He seized 
his father’s hand and trotted back, chatter- 
ing briskly. 

3 


34 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


‘‘Why wouldn’t you give me tliat big 
penny, pa?” 

“ What do little boys want of pennies ?” 

“ I would keep this one in my tin bank.” 

“ Well, maybe you will get it some time.” 

“ Just as soon as we get to the light ?” 

“ I’ll see about it.” 

“ Pa, why can’t Neil go to school ?” 

“ Bob, don’t meddle with what you can’t 
understand.” 

“ Billy Wilson says toads swallow their 
old skins every spring, pa. I can understand 
that. They shake it off their hind legs, and 
shake and shake and duck their heads. Over 
it goes down their throats, and leaves a bran 
new shiny one, like an onion when you peel 
it.” 

“ Pity you and your old jackets couldn’t 
manage that way !” 

“ Oh, I would not chew cloth for the sake 
of being a toad,” returned Bob irrelevantly, 
and pondered the matter silently for some 
time. 


THE GOWER FAMILY. 


35 


“Are tlie girls at home, Bob?’’ 

“ Yes, sir. Neil wants to be a Christian, 
and Alvira too. What is being a Chris- 
tian ?” 

“Trying to be better than other folks.” 

“ Are other folks good enough ?” 

“Some are, some are not.” 

“ Is it trying to be very good ?” 

“ Yes.” 

“ Are you trying to be a Christian ?” 

“ Nonsense !” said Mr. Gower, gruffly. 
“Why wasn’t you in bed an hour ago?” 

“ I was catching snappers in the grass 
and waiting for you. I love you ’cause you 
love me and, having arrived at the gate. Bob 
rapidly mounted a post and with agility scram- 
bled upon his father’s back. Mr. Gower car- 
ried him patiently up the steps and sat 
down ; Bob slid around into his arms, and 
went to sleep there. When shaken awake a 
while after he gravely asked, before retiring 
with Janet, “ What did you say the place 
where folks made things to sell was called ?” 


36 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


A manufactory/’ replied liis father, who 
liked to teach Bob anything relating to 
business. 

‘‘I am going to have one of those manu- 
factories some day, and make barrels of 
dates.” 

Of what 

Dates. Billy Wilson gave me one this 
morning, made in another country. I could 
make them easy. You just take little long 
pebble-stones, mix up black honey and injin 
meal, wrap it around them, and set them in 
the sun to wizzle sticky.” 

Mr. Gower took out his pipe long enough 
to laugh the hearty laugh only Bob could 
provoke ; then promising him the big penny 
on the morrow, he let him hug him affection- 
ately and depart. There was nothing at all 
angelic in little Bob’s general appearance or 
behavior, but Alvira always said that Silas 
Gower was a better man than he would have 
been but for this child. 


CHAPTEE II. 


ONE SABBATH. 

l^EIL was the first one up in the house 
next morning. She came down stairs, 
and threw open the kitchen door to stand 
there and breathe the pure, sweet air of that 
early hour. Some things in the girPs life 
never grew tame or unlovely to her. There 
were outlooks from doors and windows that 
were real, tangible pleasures of her exist- 
ence. For instance, between two unsightly 
barns opposite the spot where she stood was 
a stretch of meadow-land skirted by three 
fringes of wood, one beyond the other — the 
simplest possible landscape, but Neil loved it. 
Alvira or Janet would have been astonished 
to hear that those meadows changed colors 
every week and tints many times a day; 

37 


38 


SILAS GOWLB’S LAUGIITEES. 


but Neil knew how the first tender yellow- 
green over them ripened into golden, into 
ochre, then varied itself with dun colors and 
brighter warm spots on the surface of every 
rod of ground up to the woods, where the 
taller trees stood out so boldly dark green, 
the farther ones soft and graceful in outline, 
the farthest of all lilac-tinted, like hills, 
against the sky. Neil would have been an 
enthusiastic lover of the ocean or the moun- 
tains had she lived near either ; having 
only this bit of scenery between the barns, 
she fell in love with that, and it did her 
good. Her sweetest, best impulses seemed to 
have some connection with moments spent 
in an outlook like this morning’s. As she 
stood there, framed in the door, she remem- 
bered it was Sunday, and a vague desire 
came to her to make the day in some way 
better and more satisfactory than other days. 
How should she do it ? Janet would make 
it different from Saturday or Monday by 
lying in bed late, reading the Waverley 


ONE SABBATH. 


39 


Magazine after breakfast, having a better 
dinner than usual, and devoting the rest of 
the day to the making of such a toilet as her 
limited resources allowed, or taking a walk 
it may be, or a ride. Neil had tried all this, 
and was weary of it. Her thoughts return- 
ed to the conversation of the evening before, 
and again, by some not apparent connection, 
she remembered the untouched family Bible. 
Something moved her to go away from the 
door, through the house to the parlor, and 
open the book ; perhaps it was the curiosity 
that occasionally comes to us to take a new 
look at something that has been close at hand 
for years. She opened and read two verses : 
“ The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, 
long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith 
and again, If we live in the Spirit, let us 
also walk in the Spirit.^’ — ^‘Then the cliarac^ 
ter we were talking about is the ‘fruit of 
the Spirit ” and, stopping to consider the 
meaning of the verse, the young girl made 
a mistake at the outset. “Spirit?” she 


40 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


repeated. I suppose it means having a good 
spirit or disposition, so that the result is gen- 
tleness, the — Very true, but what of it ? I 
don’t see as it amounts to anything more 
than saying that the way to be good is to be 
good. It is like the problems in arithme- 
tic, when the teacher tells you that after you 
have worked them you will understand them 
thoroughly. I wanted to know the very be- 
ginning of the thing.” 

She sighed a little mournfully, as if she 
had expected some especial enlightenment 
from the very lifting of the Bible cover; 
then, hearing Alvira in the kitchen, she 
hastened to help her. We have told you 
how Janet spent her Sabbaths. Alvira used 
to dress herself neatly, do the necessary 
work, sit an hour or so over some book 
(rather a painful exercise, but one she con- 
sidered highly respectable) ; then she usually 
spent the rest of the day with a superannu- 
ated old aunt who lived without any visible 
means of support at one end of the village. 


ONE SABBATH. 


41 


Perhaps Alvira could have told who sup- 
plied the means had she thought it anybody’s 
business but her own. Mr. Gower stayed in- 
doors on Sunday, wrote letters and cast up 
his accounts. What Tibbits did no one 
ever asked ; he was so silent his doings sel- 
dom inspired any interest in the family. 

This Sabbath of which we write proved to 
be one of the loveliest days of the whole sea- 
son. Even Mr. Gower seemed to think it 
too fine to spend over his ledger, and after 
dinner took Bob and drove off to one of his 
farms. Silas Gower was far from being a 
poor man ; indeed, the care of his property 
occupied most of his time. No one went to 
church ; that was a thing unheard of; not 
quite unthought of, though, for as the far-off 
silvery tones of a bell floated over the hill, 
Neil said to herself, If I had anything to 
wear I would go to church, just for novelty 
but she decided at once she could not, when 
Janet bustled into the room in all the cheap 
finery she possessed. When she could spare 


42 £!ILAS GOWUB’S DAUGIITBBS. 

attention from lier frizzled hair, she remarked, 
‘‘ Neil, I’m going over to see the Selden 
girls ; you can come if you want to.” 

‘‘ I don’t wish to,” said Neil ungratefully. 

“ Well, I don’t want your company if 
you can’t be more agreeable than usual ; you 
are as stiff as a school-marm with my set of 
girls. You had better be more civil to them 
if you ever want any friends.” 

“ 1 don’t care to be one of a set, especially 
one with no manners. I can hear the Selden 
girls laugh the length of the street.” 

Dearie me !” retorted Janet with a sneer. 
‘‘ I suppose you think you would get into 
society by attending the free school. What 
a thing it is for the Gower family to have 
an elegant, educated young lady among 
them !” 

“ Yes, there is need of somebody to teach 
you good manners and good taste.” 

‘‘ Oh, I don’t feel any such need. I have 
been studying your diary, Miss Cornelia, 
and found out what a charming creature you 


ONE SABBATH. 


43 


mean to be. So you’d really like to be a 
Christian ?” 

Neil when angry was very angry. The 
color fled from her face, and left her for an 
instant pale and weak with w^rath. She 
knew her practical, sarcastic sister had 
stealthily read every earnest, secret, and, it 
may be, girlishly foolish page of her diary, 
and had it now in her power to taunt her with 
everything there that had seemed to her 
capable of ridicule. She never gave any con- 
fidence to Janet ; in fact, toward the whole 
family she was very undemonstrative ; but 
often when tired, vexed or lonesome she had 
taken her little book and pencil, writing 
down fact, fancy or aspiration, feeling it true 
that. 


“The thing we long for, that we are 
For one transcendent moment 
Before the present, cold and bare, 
Can make its sneering comment.” 


‘‘Don’t get excited,” said Janet, seeing 
her tremble. “ The book is up on the bed. 


44 


SILAS GO WEE’S DAUGHTERS, 


I thought of lending it to father. We all 
ought to have the benefit of such glorious 
ideas.’’ 

Janet Gower, you are a malicious — ” 

‘‘ Good-bye ! good-bye !” cried Janet, re- 
treating. ‘‘I can’t stay to return compli- 
ments now — some other time, dear. Tell 
Alvira to save my supper.” Then with a 
serene toss of her head she departed. 

Janet rarely showed bad temper, and 
usually grew good-natured in proportion as 
she provoked others ; consequently, Neil 
generally appeared to the w^orst advantage, 
or, what was of most consequence, was 
always left with a heavy conscience and a 
load of self-disgust. Such outbreaks low- 
ered her in her own eyes, and she was very 
proud. Neil stood where Janet left her 
until the sound of her footsteps died away 
and every other noise was hushed, for she 
was now left alone in the house. For a few 
moments anger at Janet swept all other 
thoughts aside ; then, remembering how 


ONE SABBATH. 


45 


useless was this anger, she tried to calm 
herself. There was a certain nobility 
about Neil that always precluded deliberate 
thoughts of revenge, while to nurse her 
wrath for its own sake was folly, the occa- 
sions of its rekindling being only too fre- 
quent. She went up stairs, found the diary, 
brought it down, and flung it into the kitch- 
en fire as if it had been defiled by the 
strange touch ; then she sat down in the 
open door to cool herself. Oh, it was every- 
where so calm and Sabbath-like that after- 
noon ! Over the distant woods lay a tender 
jDurple haze; not a voice came from the 
quiet wheat-fields; there was only borne 
in on the soft air the carol of the birds and 
the humming of the bees as she sat heavy- 
hearted on the worn threshold. Again the 
thoughts of last night returned to her, and 
then the Bible words she had read in the 
freshness of the early morning: ‘‘The 
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long- 
suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,” etc. 


46 


SILAS GOWERS S DAUGHTERS. 


— ‘‘Oh, that is all beautiful — too beautiful! 
It is just like the foolish dreams and wishes 
I wrote in my diary. If people can feel all 
that within them, it cannot be people who 
have such things outside them as I have. I 
cannot make myself gentle and joyous and 
long-suffering. I may wish and long as 
much as I like, but when all is over I am 
the same Neil Gower, cross, ugly, plodding 
along in old clothes in this dingy place, 
where I shall probably live and die.’’ 

A half hour passed in such meditations, 
when Neil, looking up the road, saw some 
one coming down the hill. It proved to be 
Miss Jessie Bromley, with a little basket on 
her arm. Neil wondered where she could 
be going on Sunday afternoon and on foot. 
When she came near Neil drew back with 
a half-shy, half-proud impulse. The tears 
had been rolling down her cheeks, and she 
was suddenly conscious of them. Jessie 
came on with her easy, graceful gait, lightly 
swinging the basket, until, just as she reached 


ONE SABBATH. 


47 


the scraggy hedge about the Gower grounds, 
she stumbled, slipped, and Neil saw her fall. 
She thought it only the accident of a second, 
and kept hidden as before, but instead of 
springing up, Jessie made an effort or two 
and sat still. Then Neil, forgetful of every- 
thing else, ran out and down the path to lier, 
saying, I saw you fall ; are you badly 
hurtr 

No, I think not, but I can’t walk for a 
minute ; I turned my ankle on that stone. 
I’m sure it is not sprained, but it had a 
pretty hard twist.” 

She sat on the grass, evidently in pain, 
but seeing Neil’s anxiety said again, Don’t 
be troubled ; I will humor it a little before 
I step.” 

She took off her pretty slipper, rubbed 
her ankle, and then stood up, but sat down 
instantly with the smothered cry, ^‘It does 
hurt!” 

Let me run and get a wet cloth and bind 
it up; then, if you lean your whole weight on 


48 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


me, you can hop along into the house, and as 
soon as my father or brother comes back you 
can be taken home in a carriage/’ 

Neil proposed this as boldly as if Miss 
Jessie Bromley had not heretofore been to 
her like the inhabitant of another planet. 
In the real presence of the young girl, whose 
face was as sweet and spiritual as a wild 
violet, she forgot that pony phaeton and the 
blue decorated boudoir, seeing only that 
Jessie was in pain. 

Yes,” said Jessie, I will. I had started 
to go to one of my little Sunday-school 
scholars who is very sick and sent for me : 
I feared it would be too late if I waited 
until to-morrow, but it is a long walk, and 
I cannot go back now, either, my ankle 
hurts too badly. I will hobble in, bind up 
my foot if you will let me, and when Mr. 
Collins goes by from his church I will ride 
home with him. He is our next neighbor, 
and there is an afternoon service in his 
church over the hill.” 


ONE SABBATH. 


49 


“ Yes, that is the best way,’^ said Neil 
heartily, and as Jessie rose up she clasped 
one arm around her waist, Jessie put one 
about NeiFs neck, and they went slowly 
toward the house. That very unceremonious 
meeting and familiar contact did more to 
make them acquainted than any amount 
of formal conversation. Neil seated her in 
Alvira’s rocking-chair, ran after a strip of 
linen, and with her own hands wound it 
about the ankle ; then she brought to her 
camphor, which Jessie laughingly declined. 
When all was done for her comfort that 
could be thought of, nothing but a prolonged 
tete-a-tete seemed in order between the two 
girls. The episode had been so unexpected 
that Neil had no time for embarrassment. 
When all was done she became transiently 
uncomfortable. To think that that was Miss 
Bromley’s golden hair resting on the chintz 
cover in which Alvira’s hair-pins had torn 
holes ! Miss Bromley’s dainty white dress 
was sweeping down on the kitchen floor, and 

4 


50 


SILAS GOWERS S DAUGHTERS. 


slie herself looking at Neil with an entire 
lack of self-consciousness. What should she 
say to her ? what do next ? 

Jessie did not wait, but said, So you are 
all alone? I am very glad. It does not 
seem strange to come in here with you and 
wait, you are so kind, and something in your 
manner is like a dear friend’s. I have 
wanted to know some of the young girls at 
the Corners. I have heard about almost all 
of them in various ways.” 

‘‘Have you?” said Neil, wondering how 
Jessie would like the Selden girls and Janet. 

“ The thing I heard about you I liked best 
of all,” continued Jessie with girlish warmth. 

“ I cannot think what it could have been 
that you could have liked,” said Neil, flush- 
ing with pleasure. 

“ Well, somebody told me how fond you 
were of the woods, and that you knew the 
names of so many trees and shrubs, and that 
you were always learning from some one 
about them.” 


ONE SABBATH. 


51 


Oh, that is only using my eyes. How 
can I walk in the woods and not see curious 
things ?” 

might. I only know a little book- 
botany. I was not sorry to get out of school 
and be sent home to the country. It is a 
shame for me, born in the country, to know 
so little of .it.’’ 

Neil was silent with surprise. Jessie 
furtively studied her face. She had barely 
glanced at the dark old dress, or only with 
the quick feminine intuition that it brought 
into relief something attractive, refined, and, 
so to speak, wistfully earnest in the face of 
this girl alone in the old, scantly-furnished 
farmhouse. 

At last Jessie said, “ Don’t let me interrupt 
you; perhaps you were reading. If you 
are like me, you want your Sundays quiet ; so 
forget I am waiting here. I have a Bible 
and what mother used to call her jewel-box 
with me.” 

She drew out of the basket with the Bible 


52 


SILAS GOWERS S DAUGHTERS. 


a little green book, at which Neil glanced 
quickly. 

Jessie said, Mother used to read this to 
me before she died ; she said she wanted me 
to think of heaven before she went there, so 
I would not mourn as if she were in some un- 
known strange place afterward. She marked 
places I often read now. Here • are some : 
‘ Oh, most blessed mansion of the city which 
is above ! Oh, most clear light of eternity 
which night obscureth not, but the highest 
truth ever enlighteneth ! O day ever joyful, 
ever secure, and never changing into a con- 
trary state ! To the saints it shineth, glow- 
ing with everlasting brightness, but to those 
that are pilgrims on the earth it appeareth 
only afar off, and, as it were, through a glass.’ 

As Neil listened she asked herself if it 
could be that Jessie Bromley was ‘‘pious,” 
and in “ Mrs. Strong’s way ” too. It made 
her half bitter for a moment, so strange a 
thing is human nature. There was more 
need that she should possess those “ fruits of 


ONE SABBATH. 


53 


the Spirit ” than this rich, beautiful stranger 
who had everything else in life. It seemed 
to the poor ignorant child as if she had in 
some way been defrauded. 

The shadow across her face was wliolly 
misunderstood by Jessie, for she added. 
Mother used to say this was a rare old 
book for Christians to read when sickness or 
trouble had taken them out of the busiest 
things of life, although young or old might 
learn from it a great deal about how to live 
here and to be happy hereafter.” 

Neil looked her directly in the eyes, put- 
ting the sum of much thought into one 
question : How should we live here ?” 

Jessie turned to a worn page and read : 
‘ Christ says. Follow thou me : I am the 
way, the truth and the life. Without the 
way there is no going; without the truth 
there is no knowing ; without the life there 
is no living.’ ” 

I don’t know anything about all this,” 
said Neil with mingled pride, shame and 


64 


SILAS GOWJEB’S DAUGHTERS. 


humility. ‘‘We are not at all a religious 
family.’^ 

Jessie’s involuntary look of grieved sur- 
prise im]3ressed Neil as no words could. 
The girls were of about the same age, but 
while Jessie’s spiritual nature was singularly 
deep, her character was very childlike and 
outspoken. Constant contact with the rougher 
sides of life had made Neil more mature, but 
in all religious experience she was lacking, 
as has been seen. Her last remark had 
seemed so unsympathetic to Jessie that the 
latter dropped the book and laid instead a 
rare ripe peach in Neil’s hand, saying as 
she took it from the basket, “ Do eat it. I 
cannot send it to my little girl now.” 

“ Then you teach in the Sunday-school ?” 
asked Neil after a while. 

“ Yes ; I have the brightest class of little 
girls you can imagine.” 

From this the conversation fell into 
mutual communications of thoughts and 
habits. Each with tact kept in the back- 


ONE SABBATH. 


55 


ground whatever might be wholly foreign to 
the other’s feelings or manner of life. Neil 
was original, fresh and independent in a 
most interesting way to Jessie, while Jessie 
in turn was to Neil’s fancy something like a 
wonderful white lily which once unfolded 
quite unexpectedly out among the cabbages 
of the kitchen-garden. An hour or more 
slipped by ; then there came rumbling down 
the road the sound of heavy wagon- wheels. 
Neil, looking out the window, saw Farmer 
Collins coming from church with his family. 
She ran out to explain the facts of the case, 
and the farmer himself came in to help 
Jessie out. At the door she clasped Neil’s 
hands closely in hers, and said in a gentle 
caressing tone, very new in Neil’s ears, I 
thank you, and I shall see you again.” Then 
after a dozen questions from the Collins 
family, a little kindly stir and arrangement 
of seats, the stout old horses started up the 
hill, and Neil was alone again. 

It was almost impossible to go back to the 


56 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


kitchen and sit down opposite the empty 
chair, to see the sober old clock swing-swing- 
ing, the leaf-shadows dancing through the 
window on the floor, and not to believe she 
had been off in a day-dream. Suddenly her 
glance fell upon the small green volume 
that, unperceived, must have slipped from 
Jessie’s lap. She picked it up reverently, re- 
calling the dead mother to whom it had 
been dear. Turning its pages slowly, she 
came to the chapter about the way and the 
truth and the life.” She read it through 
curiously, and found traced in pencil at the 
end these half-effaced words : ‘‘ Find out for 
thyself who is this Christ the Lord — for 
what he came and what thou hast to do with 
him.” Then followed references, all to the 
New Testament. 

Neil was by nature studious. She loved 
to search out a subject with patience and 
thought. Now, remembering that the whole 
of this long summer afternoon was her own 
to spend in solitude, she brought out the 


ONE SABBATH. 


57 


Bible, spread it open on the window-ledge 
and prepared to seek answers to the ques- 
tions traced in the little book. She had a 
habit when alone of reading half aloud, and 
so there soon fell from her lips the words of 
the old, old story of the child Jesus sweet 
and sacred. She read at first not with entire 
absorption, thinking once or twice of the ex- 
pression of Jessie Bromley’s face, the warm 
pressure of her hand ; but a few minutes 
later her audible reading ceased, and her 
eager eyes and flushed cheeks showed that 
the wondrous narrative was not carelessly 
taken in — was rather coming into an awak- 
ened mind with fullest force. No one ap- 
j^roached the house ; the afternoon shadows 
lengthened and the western light flooded the 
room, until at last, sitting there in the un- 
heeded splendor, Neil folded together the 
covers of the Bible, looking down at it with 
a kindling light on her face that came from 
no outer glow. She had found out who was 
“ this Christ the Lord,” although she had not 


68 


SILAS GOWERS S DAUGHTERS. 


yet felt pressing home to her that other ques- 
tion, ‘‘What hast thou to do with him?’’ 
Yet if the whole was to her only a history, 
grand, sweet and wonderful beyond words, it 
was still a great thing for her that the dull, 
colorless clouds about her spiritual discern- 
ment had broken away, and by the truth of 
revelation she perceived the Saviour of the 
world. In all life there was for her but one 
better, sweeter experience — the belief that 
he was her Saviour. Truly, this Sabbath 
had been different from all others ; and Neil 
had an impression that for some reason com- 
ing ones might be less blank, less dreary, 
because of something to grow out of this 
day. 


CHAPTER III. 


DIPLOMACY, 



LVIHA HIGGINS had been “turning 


over things’’ in her mind, and had 
resolved upon a line of conduct in regard to 
Neil. She was sorry for the young girl, and 
wished that she might go to school. Now, 
Alvira had more knowledge of character than 
one would have supposed. In her silent, ap- 
athetic way she effectually worked many of 
the domestic wires; knowing forcible meas- 
ures or persuasion might stir up opposition, 
she frequently tried diplomacy. When 
Monday came, it proved to be a cheerless 
day. The rain poured from morning until 
night. Neil helped Alvira with the wash- 
ing, and Janet did the rest of the work. 
Silas Gower sat over the fire and superin- 
tended matters generally. On such days he 


59 


60 


SILAS GOWEB^S DAUGHTERS. 


always mused on the family hearthstone, 
ready to reprove any members of the family 
who used butter .when they might have used 
pork fat, or burned overmuch kindling-wood, 
or gave a neighbor, coming for it, a pint of 
milk when no pennies rattled in the pail she 
brought. Neil detested these days ; her 
father’s precepts made her perverse ; she felt 
an undutiful desire to waste something when 
he was not looking. Alvira had known 
this in the j^ast ; so to-day, after a time, she 
sent Neil away to work somewhere else, and 
when Janet also was out of the room she be- 
gan to talk. To disarm suspicion of seeking 
some end, she opened wearily upon her em- 
ployer : 

What a power of strength Janet has got 
in her arm for a girl of this weakly genera- 
tion ! She can pound and wring clothes like 
a good one. Folks is so different! There’s 
Neil, born an’ bred under the same roof, fed 
on the very same pervision, and she hain’t 
half the strength o’ muscle. She is per- 


DIPLOMACY. 


61 


fectly healtliY, and willin’ enough too, but a 
right smart day’s work will tire her out and 
leave Janet fresh as a lark. Somehow, she 
ain’t adapted to it.” 

Adapted or not, she’s just got to come to 
it. Fact is, Janet is a Gowxr, and Neil is 
one of her mother’s folks.” 

‘‘Yes, of course she must do it; and she 
can for a few years; then she’ll kind of fizzle 
all out physically, and be an invalid, or, 
maybe, go like her ma.” 

Either death or the prospect of supporting 
a lifelong invalid did not suit Mr. Gower. 
He grunted — gazed out of the window at a 
bedraggled rooster and four red hens comi- 
cally waltzing about the well-sweep to avoid 
the raindrops. 

“ Humph ! Don’t know why she can’t live 
and behave herself, I’m sure.” 

“ Yes, if she were diflPerently situated. I 
suppose maybe there are other occupations 
as profitable as rough housework for a giri 
if she hain’t got the strength for it. Neil 


62 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


knows all about work, but you’ll pay out all 
sbe saves for doctors’ bills one of these days.” 

Never, Alviry ! If my women-folks are 
bound to die, they’ll die without having a 
doctor to help them along. I believe in 
leaving such things to Nature. She is a 
genuine restorer, and don’t charge for her 
services, either.” 

Alvira scrubbed one of Tibbits’s red flan- 
nel shirts up and down on the washboard 
and sang the Last Lose of Summer.” 
She intended to put two ideas in Mr. Gow- 
er s head, but not simultaneously. Janet 
came in and set the pork and greens boiling 
for dinner. Bob appeared and teased for 
gingerbread, but he did not get it, for the 
head of the family declared his constitution 
was being undermined by a vicious course 
of eating between meals. Bob whimpered, 
teased, and finally softened his father’s heart 
to the extent of permission to have two, then 
ran out to play with the damp roosters in 
the shed, Alvira broke out again after a 


DIPLOMACY. 


63 


long silence : Law me ! What a start 
folks do get once in a while ! — folks, too, 
you’d think never had no go-ahead in them. 
There’s old Peter Cotter’s daughter Mary, 
that was ’bout Neil’s age when she lived 
down the road here. (Neil always puts me 
in mind of her; she was just sich another.) 
Well, I heerd yesterday that she did so well 
at her studies with that ’ere new Profes- 
sor What’shisname, that’s just come to our 
academy, that in two years she got the Hill- 
port school at ten dollars a week and board- 
in’ ’round. Now, if you’d believe it, she’s 
got a place in the Northwood Institoot, and 
is agoin’ to have four hundred a year. I 
guess her folks can afford to let her off and 
hire help, she bein’ kinder delicate, like 
Neil. I didn’t mention a word of it to Neil. 
Girls are sich geese; she might get to 
hankerin’ after some sich thing herself, 
because she is so amazin’ quick at her books. 
But, dear sakes ! sich chances ain’t for every- 
body.” 


64 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


Humph grunted Silas again. It is 
not chances; it is working away steady.’^ 

“I suppose ^tis, mainly,” said Alvira. 
Then, her washing done, she went to getting 
dinner, noting with satisfaction that Mr. 
Gower sat in deep meditation — so deep that 
he did not reprove her for a single extrava- 
gance of cooking. 

The storm continued all day. Janet 
thought it a good time to do two days’ work 
in one, thereby gaining time on the morrow 
to cut out her new dress. She starched and 
ironed and baked at a great rate until sup- 
per-time ; after that she was not “ fresh as a 
lark,” but, to Alvira’s surprise, admitted she 
was tired and went early to bed. Neil and 
Alvira sat down to rest and have a quiet 
talk ; Tibbits went to sleep on the old lounge 
in the corner, and Bob followed suit. Neil 
told of her Sunday afternoon experience, 
and Alvira listened with interest. They 
discussed Miss Jessie, even to the color of 
her hair and the material of her garments, 



Page C4 







I 


DIPLOMACY. 


65 


for there was a dearth of interests in this 
dull house ; then, as before of late, the talk- 
ing grew more earnest. 

‘‘ I don’t think you need have found the 
Bible hard to read, Alvira. Let me tell you 
how and what I read yesterday.” 

Alvira bent eagerly forward, her strong 
profile coming out boldly on the smoky wall. 
The storm continued to beat against the 
windows, and little Bob snored so loudly he 
awoke Tibbits, who lay still and listened to 
the low voices at the fire. He did not do it 
as an eavesdropper or with any interest at 
first. No one knew what did interest Tib- 
bits, for no one had ever tried to find out. 
His sisters were dwellers under the same 
roof — not much else to him ; to them he was 
/^nobody but Tib.” 

“ Alvira,” asked Neil shyly, “ what have 
you been taught that Christ came into the 
world for ?” 

“Why, to save sinners.” 

“Yes, to die, and to do that by his dy- 

5 


66 


SILAS GOWJEB’S BAUGHTEBS. 


ing — that is wonderful ; but he lived as well 
as died ; and yesterday his life, doing, say- 
ing, seemed so wonderful too to me ! I never 
thought about that before. Now, I should 
think all our living and saying and doing 
ought some way to be different because of 
that, only I don’t know how.” 

“ No more do I when you bring it down 
to a point, but if I haven’t got hold of a 
wrong end to it, that is the Christian to it.” 

“Well,” said Neil after a pause, “the 
Bible isn’t stupid reading : it is interesting.” 

“ Make it so to me,” said Alvira meekly. 
“ Let’s hear a little now ; Janet has gone to 
bed and nobody will interfere.” 

Neil brought out the big book and read 
the parable of the Prodigal Son. Alvira’s 
first comment was, “ Humph ! Lots of 
human nature in that elder brother. I’ve 
seen plenty such. The good old gentleman 
understood him; he got the feast well under 
way before he come back at night, or likelier 
than not he’d ha’ put a stopper on it. What 


DIPLOMACY. 


67 


a father that was, though ! — he had a heart 
in him.” 

Neil went back to the first verses and read 
the whole chapter, its real import gradually 
becoming to each clear and touching. 

‘‘ Do you suppose, Alvira Higgins,” asked 
Neil in a sort of reverent wonder, that we 
are God’s children away off from him, and 
that he loves us like that?” 

Alvira ground a great knuckle into her 
moistened eyes, saying, I never saw it that 
way before, or heerd it. I have been told 
lots of times that God was angry with the 
wicked every day, and I knowed I wasn’t 
pious, so I supposed he was a-gettin’ madder 
and madder at me all the time. It scares 
me awful to think of it.” 

‘‘ But ihu is about God and sinners — I’m 
sure ’tis ;” and Neil re-read about the joy in 
heaven over one sinner that repented. 

‘‘ Law me ! I repent this very minute. I 
hate my sins, and have this good while ; but 
I supposed God hated me along with dn. 


68 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


Now, wliat if lie should have been a-waitin’ 
and a-wantin’ me to get up and go to him 
all these thirty-seven years IVe been a liv- 
in’ ? It ’most breaks my heart to suppose it 
could be that way, instead of the hatin’. I 
could love him this minute if I dared.” 

The unseen fingers of some messenger- 
angel may have turned those Bible leaves 
that night, for the pages fell untouched apart 
where Neil’s eye caught the word “love,”, 
and she read aloud : “ God so loved the 
world that he gave his only-begotten Son, 
that whosoever believeth in him should not 
perish, but have everlasting life.” 

Alvira had the simpler nature and came 
sooner to conclusions. With a kindling light 
in her face she broke out : “ Is that all — all 
of it ? God loved us, and so Christ died for 
us. We believe it, and so are saved. Then 
of course we love him and do what he wants 
us to do ; and we find out that in the Bible ! 
Why, Neil Gower ! it is as plain as — -as — 
Why, as clear as sunlight.” 


DIPLOMACY. 


69 


Neil was deeply stirred, but to her more 
doubts and questions came. She looked 
silently into the glowing coals, and hardly 
heeded Alvira. Her ear first caught the 
sound of her father’s footsteps, and she in- 
stinctively covered the Bible. It was not a 
prompting of shame, but a shrinking back 
with something sacred from contact with the 
hard worldliness that always enveloped him 
•like an atmosphere. Alvira rose up to at- 
tend to the fire and the lights before going 
to bed ; she noticed, as she did it, that Tib- 
bits was wide awake and appeared a little 
embarrassed that she had found him so ; 
but Silas Gower drew all attention to himself. 
He came directly over to Neil and stood be- 
fore her on the hearth, saying, “ With girls 
in a family it is always dress or algebra and 
book-nonsense. I never had a whole year’s 
schoolin’ in my life, and I never made a cent 
less for it, as I know of. . I suppose you can go 
to the academy, provided — mark my words 
for it — provided you fill yourself so full of 


70 


SILAS GOWEB’S DAUGHTERS. 


learning that hereafter somebody will pay 
you well for telling it all in teachin’. It 
is extravagance and indulgence and perfect 
nonsense. It may bring us all on the town, 
hut you can begin, for all that, on Thursday, 
and then see that you cram'^ 

Neil’s stammered thanks were cut short. 
Mr. Gower had not granted her petition 
wholly from a desire to please her, but some- 
what as. a matter of future economy ; having 
pleased her notwithstanding, he retired, feel- 
ing guilty of a possible laxity of family dis- 
cipline. He never intended to do his chil- 
dren any injustice. He meant some time to 
leave them a large property ; therefore, in 
the mean time he thought to do them the 
greatest service by training them all to hab- 
its of rigid economy and self-denial. He did 
not feel in himself the lack of education, or 
he would have yielded far more readily to 
Neil’s desires. 


CHAPTEE IV. 


THE ONE BROTHER. 

rpHE next afternoon, as Alvira was putting 
a finisliing touch to the hardest work of 
the day, Bob sped up the back yard and 
pitched himself into her presence, red hot 
with exercise and gasping for breath. Any- 
thing like news acted upon Bob’s legs like 
steam on a piston-rod. 

There, now !” remarked Alvira, “ don’t 
begin to splutter till your wind is back. 
You always act as if you s’posed the cow or 
the calf or the old plough-horse would get 
here first and tell it.” 

‘‘Tell what?” 

“ Oh, that Tib has got a woodchuck, 
maybe.” 

“He has done no such a thing now, no 
way,” returned Bob, who was a grammarian 

71 


72 


SILAS GOWERS S DAUGHTERS. 


after Alvira^s stamp. “ He's just gone and 
sold his little cow, his Lightfoot, to a strange 
man ; I saw him do it, too, and he told me to 
hold my tongue about it. Out in the lot it 
was.^’ 

‘‘ Well, then, if you don’t I’ll spank you. 
AVhat did you tear up to the house and tell 
for, the first thing?” 

Bob looked at her in disgusted surprise 
that any one should object to the manner in 
which news was obtained or imparted. She 
continued to talk, however, until the little 
fellow, hearing an approaching step, fled 
like the wind. 

The new-comer was Tibbits. He caught 
sight of Bob’s flying heels, and surmised for 
what he had run home and for what escaped, 
but he asked nothing, only sat moodily 
down on the doorstep a good while before 
he said, Bob tattled, of course.” 

‘‘ Yes ; he won’t any more, though. What 
did you sell her for, and why not tell ?” 

I don’t know why I sold her myself. I 


THE ONE BROTHER. 


73 


Jiked her as if she were human — and better; 
hut she was the only thing I owned out and 
out, and I believe I wanted to see how some 
money would feel in my pocket.” 

‘‘AVhy, Tibbits! I didn’t know as you 
loved money so.” 

I hate it ! I’d like to wa8te some out of 
spite. Father will find out in a day or two. 
I’m most of age, but father don’t care. I 
believe if he’d once in a while give me 
twenty-five cents as a free gift, I’d not have 
sold the cow. ’Twas a freak — I feel so ground 
down. I don’t want for anything money’ll 
buy. What good is in hankerin’ after it 
so ?” 

“ Well ! well !” mused Alvira. Here these 
young ones have heard nothing for years but 
‘ save,’ ‘ save,’ and they all turn around and 
talk like this — all, at least, but Janet.” She 
stood with towel in hand gazing at Tibbits. 
She seldom heard him say half a dozen 
words at a time. 

“ It is one long, long grind,” he went on. 


74 


SILAS GOWERS S DAUGHTERS. 


I wanted to be a machinist — I love that 
sort of work — but no, not a word of that. 
I wanted schooling too, but father said 
‘ schoolin’ ’ rhymed with ^ foolin’ ;’ so I got 
none and turned out a fool, that don’t rhyme 
with nothing. ‘ Economy ! ’ ‘ economy !’ How, 
ever did he let Neil go to school ?” 

^‘Neil has not gone yet, and I don’t see 
how she’s ever agoin’ to — no clothes, no 
books.” 

‘‘ Isn’t there a single old dress of mother’s 
left up in the garret-chest?” asked Neil. her- 
self, who came in just in time to hear Alvira’s 
last words. 

‘‘There is only one old piece of faded 
chintz left there, that used to be a bed-cur- 
tain. It is green, with purple cabbages and 
blue china-asters all over the border : rather 
tryin’ to your complexion I reckon you’d 
find it.” 

Neil laughed, but plaintively, and sat down 
to reflect, while Tibbits studied her present 
dress and complexion at his leisure. He said 


THE ONE BROTHER. 


75 


awkwardly, after a pause, “.You look nice in 
that rigf^ 

“ This — I — Oh, it is too warm,’’ Neil 
returned in surprise, for a compliment from 
him was a most unexpected thing. A mo- 
ment after he rose up and went back to the 
lot. 

Quite late in the afternoon Neil had oc- 
casion to go to a neighbor’s. As she came 
home she took a short cut through the fields, 
and forgot all her perplexities in the beauty 
of the sunset hour, for after the rain of the 
previous day everything was in full summer 
verdure and loveliness. She was leaning on 
the pasture-bars when she heard Tibbits call 
her, and saw him coming up a lane. When 
close beside her he colored and hesitated ; so, 
without, as Janet would instantly have done, 
asking, “ What do you want ?” she began to 
praise a young orchard he had set out, and 
tried to act as if it were the most common 
event, this his joining her for company. 

“ Neil,” he said abruptly, “ I’ve sold Light- 


76 


SILAS GOWEB^S BAUGHTEBS. 


foot and got some money. What I do with 
it is nobody’s business but my own. Here 
is some of it for your school-fixings and, 
very red and embarrassed, the young fellow 
pushed a roll of bills into his sister’s hand, 
saying, “ Get what you like, only don’t talk 
before the rest.” 

‘‘For me, Tibbits? Oh no. You never 
have any money : you must not give it 
away.” 

“ I want you to have it. I — I’m not 

father, to begrudge it.” 

Neil folded her hand over it in grateful 
acceptance. It was a way out of her present 
difficulty, hut the chief new pleasure of the 
moment was the hrotherliness of the act. 
She looked into Tibbits’s homely face with 
eyes full of something he had never seen 
there before ; it made his own a bit dim, so 
he said quickly, “ It isn’t much.” 

“ It is a good deal for you to give or for 
me take. I thank you ever and ever so 
much. I do want to go to school, Tibbits 


THE ONE BROTHER. 


77 


and Neil was betrayed into a whole chapter 
of confidences, such as hitherto had only 
been given to Alvira. It was a happy oc- 
currence for each of them. Tibbits was all 
at once aware that he could be very fond 
and proud of his sister, and Neil warmed 
toward him in continual surprise at finding 
behind his reticence so little likeness to her 
father or Janet. It was a lamentable fact 
that Silas Gower could not be but unlovable 
to his children. They never meant to speak 
or think of him undutifully, but they were 
forced to know him as he seemed — hard, cold 
and money-loving, loving little else. The 
brother and sister talked until Bob found 
them and told them supper was eaten up 
long ago. 

The next day Janet was astonished to find 
that Neil had been shopping and had fur- 
nished herself with a suitable outfit for 
school. She informed her father that with- 
out doubt Alvira knew where the money 
came from. Silas Gower, who had no ob- 


78 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


jections to Alvira’s wages return ing to their 
fountain-head, grunted out something in ref- 
erence to “ women-folks and all sorts of fol- 
derols,’’ then let the matter drop. Janet was 
even more surprised to detect Neil showing 
a new print dress to Tibbits, and to hear 
him say it was ‘‘ as pretty as a pink.’’ She 
scornfully inquired if he was going into the 
dry-goods business or getting into good so- 
ciety in order to meet some day our friend 
Miss Bromley.” 

Tibbits blushed with anger, and hastily 
left them for his farm- work. He cared 
nothing for her words, but the idea that his 
sister’s interests could not be supposed to be 
his cut him. Was he only a clodhopper, 
born to drudge and scrimp and eat and 
sleep, without sympathy or companionship? 
Neil saw the cloud settle on his face as he 
passed out the door, and dimly divined his 
meaning. She resolved to take a new course 
in regard to her brother — to see if she could 
not get from and give to him something 


THE ONE BROTHER. 


79 


never given or received in tlie past. She 
told Alvira of her intentions, and found 
a warm sympathizer. The night before 
school began she and Alvira sat sewing the 
last stitches into her dress and talking of 
this among other topics. 

“ It seems to me you’ve been gettin’ some 
good new idees lately,” said Alvira. And 
I have too. I feel some way for a day or 
two like a summer morning after a muggy 
sort of a long storm, when all the birds are 
singing — one of them days. That Bible- 
reading begun it. I don’t suppose I’m a bit 
better than I ever was, but I can’t get it out 
of my head now — what never seemed to get 
into it before — ' How good God is ! He loves 
me — me, Alviry Higgins, Silas Gower’s hired 
woman !’ To tell the honest truth, I never 
before, since my poor mother died of hard 
work, ever knowed anybody actooally loved 
me, be it man, woman or child.” 

Are you — ? do you mean you are going 
to be a Christian?” 


80 


SILAS GOWERS S DAUGHTERS. 


I mean I^m going to love the Lord with 
my whole heart, because it seems as if I 
must; and as fast as I see my duty I’m 
agoin’ to do it, the devil to the contrary 
every time notwithstanding. If all this lies 
in the direction of bein’ a Christian, most 
likely I shall turn out one some time. I’m 
agoin’ to church after this, and to learn as 
fast and as much about real, true religion as 
I can take in — going to spell away steady on 
them parables too : I like them.” 

Neil made no answer, but by and by, 
when Alvira announced that the dress was 
finished, the young girl suddenly exclaimed, 
“ I’ll put it on and go and take Jessie Brom- 
ley’s little book to her, and see if her ankle 
is well. It will not be very dark for an hour 
yet.” 

Alvira nodded approval, and Neil ran 
away with the new dress. When she came 
back Alvira nodded with still more satisfac- 
tion. 

^‘I suppose,” said Neil, as this time she 


THE ONE BROTHER. 


81 


stood for inspection, that this is plainer 
than Miss Jessie’s morning-gowns, but it is 
suitable enough for me, isn’t it?” 

'‘Yes,” said Alvira, "it is.” 

She was mentally comparing Neil and 
Janet — Neil, pale and slight, in this soft 
neutral tint, with the one blue knot for a 
neck-ribbon, and Janet when arrayed in her 
cheap finery. The result of her thoughts 
was the remark, " Them that has the best 
taste likes plain trim min’s. Now go along 
or you’ll be too late.” 

Neil took the little book and hurried 
away in the twilight, up and over the hill 
and out upon one of those grass-grown, 
meandering old roads described by another 
as one along which you " yearn to travel like 
a pilgrim going nowhere;” the stone walls, 
low, with numerous gaps — a quiet place in 
the daytime, where the birds make nests and 
the white butterflies cluster on the yarrow — 
at nightfall noiseless save for the crickets. 

This evening the breeze was fragrant from 
6 


82 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


the near clover-fields, and the first stars were 
appearing in the still pink-flushed sky. 
After a half mile the trees grew closer to- 
gether, and soon back from the road was 
plainly to be seen the ‘‘ Bromley House,’’ a 
large, rather pretentious, dwelling, consid- 
ered a veritable mansion by the too envi- 
ously inclined people at Bricktop Corners. 
Neil’s heart beat a little nervously as she 
opened the great iron gate, and she resolved 
to show immediately the book as the sole 
reason and excuse for her appearance. She 
was too sensitive or too proud to seem to 
seek Jessie’s further acquaintance. An old 
Scotchman was watering shrubs and flowers 
in the front yard, and he directed her to go 
around the corner of the house and she 
would find Miss Bromley. She did so, ex- 
pecting to see her outside the house, but a 
turn brought her opposite two long windows, 
near one of which sat Jessie with her lap 
full of kittens. At Neil’s first word she rose 
up, the kittens rolling ofl* like balls of wool 


THE ONE BROTHER. 


83 


or clinging by their claws to her ruffled 
apron. 

Oh, it is you ! I am very glad to see you. 
I have not used my ankle until to-day, or I 
should have been over to see you. Step in 
the window, only don^t alight on any of 
these little cats. There ! you are seated in 
safety to yourself and to them.” So Jessie 
chatted a little more than usual it may be, 
seeing Neil’s first embarrassment, but that 
wore off in a moment or two. It was sur- 
prising how much they found at the outset 
to talk about — the lame ankle, the little girl 
Jessie had meant to visit, the full history of 
those remarkable kittens — and then they 
dipped into a little deeper matters. Jessie 
had read many books of more or less literary 
merit. Neil had read very few of any sort, 
but by accident those had been of the best, 
and thus had been to her of incalculable 
benefit in forming her taste. In the garret- 
chest, holding old relics of her mother and 
of her grandfather, were several volumes of 


84 


SILAS GOWER^S LAUGHTERS. 


the classics of history, of poetry — -just such, 
in short, as she never would have molested 
had there been old romances or illustrated 
weeklies at hand ; but these last were not, 
so she fed on strong meat instead of sugar- 
plums. 

Jessie took her to her well-filled book- 
shelves, and privately wondered that Neil 
should know so much and not so much. 
Had she ever heard that the man of one 
book is the man to be feared,’’ she might 
have solved her own puzzle. 

Have I not a pleasant room ?” asked 
Jessie artlessly. 

I never have seen so lovely a one,” said 
Neil as simply. She had been looking at it 
without rudeness all the time — the blue car- 
pet with patterns of white lilies, the filmy 
lace curtains, the sparkling crystal globes, 
rich upholstery, rufiles, fancy screens, vases 
of roses. All was alike exquisite to the 
young girl from the weatherbeaten old farm- 
house. Janet Gower would have kindled 


THE ONE BROTHER. 


85 


into a coarse jealousy or a covetous desire to 
dispossess the owner of such luxuries and to 
enter upon them herself. Neil admired the 
whole as she admired the beauty of the night 
outside : it belonged to her to enjoy in just 
the same way. 

‘^Now let us go out and get you a bou- 
quet/’ said Jessie at last; and so, followed 
by a feline procession that interfered much 
with their progress, the two girls went pluck- 
ing flowers through the walks of an old-fash- 
ioned garden, sweet, luxurious and overgrown. 

When it was dark enough to see the fireflies 
Neil hastened to go home. Jessie walked a 
short distance down the safe and quiet road 
with her, thanked her for returning the little 
book, asked her to come again, and warmly 
bade her good-night. Then each girl left 
the other with the same thought in the heart 
— a thought that this might be the beginning 
of a friendship to ripen in the future. There 
was between them no such inequality as 
need prevent it. Jessie saw in Neil reflne- 


86 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


meiit, if not culture, and lovable traits ; Neil 
thought Jessie far removed from her, but 
felt herself drawn to her. Jessie rated dress 
and externals at their true worth ; Neil re- 
membered her best gown w^as a cotton one, 
but with that came a fleeting satisfaction that 
report said ‘‘ Silas Gower could buy out the 
Bromleys any day.’’ She had not her 
father’s reverence for money, but it was 
human nature to be glad he could ‘‘afford 
better clothes.” 

When she arrived at home she found her 
father sitting on the doorstep, but not, as 
usual, smoking his pipe, and something pe- 
culiarly grim suggested a domestic storm. 
Fearful of attracting any latent electricity to 
herself, she slipped by him, and within the 
kitchen whispered to Alvira, “ What is the 
matter? Has anything happened?” 

“ Oh, he has found out that Tibbits has 
sold his cow, and he is very angry. He 
went at him about it, and stirred Tibbits 
up madder than I ever s’posed he could get. 


THE ONE BROTHER. 


87 


They had it hot and heavy till I was scared, 
I can tell you. Tibbits wouldn’t tell for what 
he wanted the money (between you and me he 
didn’t know himself) or what he meant to do 
with it. Your father didn’t take a wise way 
with him, and I was afraid Tib would say 
what he’d never forget or forgive. I was 
right glad you was out of the way. Then 
Janet, she made things worse by saying you 
and he were ‘puttin’ your heads together 
and a-settin’ up for style lately,’ whatever 
that meant — your new calico, I s’pose.” 

“ Oh, I am glad I was not here !” whis- 
pered Neil ; then, hearing her father move, 
she escaped up the dark, steep stairway into 
her own room. 

There often comes in the history of a boy 
or girl a time of unrest, if not of actual mu- 
tiny. Old habits, duties, sights and pleas- 
ures, all pall on the mind, and to the young 
and foolish fancy the new is the only good. 
A wise father or mother needs to be very 
patient with a child so affected. Harshness, 


88 


SILAS GOJVEB^S DAUGHTERS. 


or even common sense quite stripped of lov- 
ing-kindness, kas, when then exercised, 
driven many a boy into dissipation, and 
made many a girl betake herself to morbid 
novels. To both Neil Gower and her brother 
had come such an experience. Neil, howev- 
er, was about to find a safe and healthy outlet 
for her impatience in a new course of study, 
but about Tibbits none concerned themselves. 
His farm-work had always been distasteful ; 
of late it was doubly so. He had constantly 
a sore, irritated feeling, as if his father’s 
authority were overstrained. Was he not a 
free agent in any sense? And yet ever since 
his memory served him his wishes and in- 
clinations had been ignored. 

This evening we speak of matters reached 
a climax. Tibbits told much truth to his 
father in a most unfilial spirit, and Silas 
Gower felt himself stung by such truth into 
a passion that he imputed entirely to Tibbits’s 
insolence and ingratitude. The boy at last 
rushed away and walked aimlessly toward 


THE ONE BROTHER. 


89 


the centre of the village. He was in that 
frame of mind when other boys have run 
away to sea, but no thoughts of sailor-life 
had ever beguiled him. He only had with- 
in him an impulse to do some unpermitted 
deed, no matter how wild or senseless. 

He passed the grocery store and post- 
ofdce, only looking in where two or three 
shopkeepers were talking over the day’s 
doings with as many farmers ; they all 
looked too well content to sympathize with a 
boy groaning under — what? Tibbits could 
not have told in a word. Individually, his 
wrongs were like insect-bites, but collec- 
tively they were to him countless and un- 
endurable. Beyond the post-office was a 
saloon, back of that a “billiard-room,” so 
called, but actually the one general resort 
for gambling as yet possessed by the Cor- 
ners. In the first gayly-lighted room a 
lively crowd was collected about a strolling 
player and two children with violins, while 
a black boy was delighting the company by 


90 


SILAS GO WEE’S BAUGHTEES. 


an impromptu jig. After a moment of con- 
templation, Tibbits stepped down and into 
the room. He bad never been there before, 
but he met with a warm and, as it seemed, 
kindly reception. ' Th'e place was noisy, but 
therefore more in keeping with his mood 
than the quiet night outside. 

It was long after midnight when he came 
out again, and he had found able teachers 
eager to give him the first lessons in vice — 
only it was a mystery to them where “ old 
Gower’s boy — and such a green one — got his 
money.” 


CHAPTEE V. 


A FRIEND FOUND AND A FRIEND LOST. 

rriHE first day of school was a golden one 
to Neil. She enjoyed every moment of 
it as she had not enjoyed anything else for 
a long, long time. It was delightful in the 
early morning to saunter along by the wheat- 
fields, to smell the air full of fragrance, to 
feel the hard covers of her new books un- 
der her arm, to seem to herself ‘‘ like other 
girls.’’ 

The old academy had been newly paint- 
ed, refurnished with modern desks ; there was 
a new principal and several attractive stran- 
gers among the scholars ; all of which added 
to Neil’s impression of having taken a fresh 
start in life. When examined as to her 
scholarship she was found to rank as high 
as others of her age, and that increased her 

91 


92 


SILAS GOWEM^S LAUGHTEES. 


satisfaction. Neil knew by name many girls 
in the school, but had not an acquaintance 
among them. Janet Gower was very well 
known throughout the Corners, but was only 
popular among birds' of her own feather. 
Neil, who was not known at all, suffered, 
inasmuch as she was supposed to be of the 
same sort of plumage. More than one daugh- 
ter of a best family ” glanced at her that 
day, surprised at her quiet ease and gentle 
face. As the school-house was a long walk 
from her home, Neil did not return at noon, 
but with a lunch provided by Alvira strolled 
away to a near wood during the intermission 
and ate it under the trees. She felt half 
guilty at finding it so exceedingly pleasant 
compared to her usual noonday meal. She 
liked better to hear the rustle of the wind 
in the trees and the noise of birds, bees and 
grasshoppers than the rasping tones of her 
father’s voice as he scolded Bob for eating so 
fast — and so much. A full hour was allowed 
between the school-sessions, and lunch occu- 


A FRIEND FOUND AND A FRIEND LOST. 93 

pying but a short time, she could have the 
rest for recreation. As she brushed the 
crumbs from her lap some one called her by 
name ; turning toward a lane that led down 
from the road by the Bromley House,’’ she 
espied Jessie. 

‘‘ I thought you would not go home,” she 
cried as she came nearer, and as we don’t 
have dinner until later, it occurred to me I 
would run over here and stay with you. I 
know these woods, I can assure you, though 
not perhaps in the way you might. James, 
the gardener, says I have furnished half the 
house out of them.” 

“ What does he mean ?” asked Neil, her 
heart fluttering with pleasure, for Jessie as 
she came near had taken her two hands and 
stood holding them. She was not thinking 
of the question she asked so much as of the 
soft white Angers entwining hers. 

‘‘ I mean only that there are the loveliest 
mosses here, and berries, and trailing vines 
for hanging-baskets, and queer, twisted, dark 


94 


SILAS GOWERS S DAUGHTERS. 


things growing under old logs that make the 
most picturesque brackets you ever saw. I 
have a beautiful fernery I collected from 
that hollow over there. Don’t you want to 
ornament your room at home? Do let me 
help you make some things for it. I have 
done everything I could think of to my 
own, and I long to begin right over again. 
I could profit too by my own experiments 
and mistakes. What color is your room ?” 

Jessie spoke without thought. Her idea 
of a room was one where paper, paint, dra- 
pery and furniture all harmonized as a result 
of study, taste and money; hut like light- 
ning came to her the recollection of the old 
farm-house, and she was about to utter 
another hasty remark when Neil, with a 
quick sense of the comical and no false pride 
(Jessie banished that), laughed outright, 
answering, ‘‘The doors and windows are a 
dingy yellow where any paint is left, the 
walls are papered with — let me see ! — pink 
demijohns, bottom upward, with purple cauli- 


A FRIEND FOUND AND A FRIEND LOST. 95 

flowers dropping out, and navy-blue roses 
and dandelion curls entwined around conch- 
shells. The washstand is pine, and the bed- 
stead cherry, and the table oak, and the 
bureau curled maple. The curtains are blue 
paper, and I have no carpet.’’ 

Neil had begun with a humorous fancy to 
make Jessie laugh, but ended with the fear 
that she had shocked her. To her surprise, 
Jessie cried, Oh, Neil Gower, I am so glad ! 
I take a magazine that is just full of direc- 
tions how to make lovely places out of old 
ugly ones, and I have fairly ached to have 
one to practice on. So you will when you 
read what I have. I will come out here 
every noon and bring the books, and if you 
like the idea we will make up baskets and 
get vines and every sort of rustic thing we 
can invent or imitate to trim your room ; 
then by and by there will be ways of dealing 
with the furniture and paper, and having 
just such a room as I always have thought 
would be delightful.” 


96 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


Jessie spoke the simple truth, but with 
tact. Neil was taken captive — not by her 
fancies, which as yet she scarcely understood 
— but by her artless kindness. Hand in 
hand they wandered into the deeper shade. 
Neil gathered a bunch of wild flowers, and, 
arranging them with a taste Jessie instantly 
recognized, gave them to the latter. They 
talked, as only young girls can, of forty dif- 
ferent topics in as many minutes, but soon 
the clear echo of the school-bell resounded 
through the woods, and Jessie must go one 
way and Neil another. 

“Be out here to-morrow if it is pleasant 
weather,’^ said Jessie, “ and we will have an- 
other hour together. Will you ?” 

“ Indeed I will,” answered Neil earnestly. 

“ Now,” continued Jessie, blushing faintly, 
“ I have not known you very long, but won^t 
you let me give you something — only a little 
book like mother’s? I like it so much! 
Bead it every day with your Bible.” 

She drew a little gilt-edged volume from 


A FRIEND FOUND AND A FRIEND LOST. 97 

her pocket, laid it in NeiFs hand, and be- 
fore she could thank her she looked into 
NeiFs clear eyes a second, as if to assure 
herself that she was indeed what she thought 
her to be, then wholly unexpectedly, warmly 
kissed her, and turning ran homeward. To 
many silly, effusive girls, ready to put on and 
off a friendship with every change of fashion, 
this meeting, this kiss, would have meant 
nothing. To Neil, self-contained and in one 
sense quite friendless, it was something pre- 
cious — too sacred to tell of, unless in outline 
to Alvira. Janet would have coarsely gloried 
in proclaiming such a promised intimacy if 
it had come to her, reflecting most upon the 
fact of silk dresses, pony phaetons and ‘‘style” 
generally. Neil did not remember that the 
hand clasping hers wore a tiny diamond ring, 
or that the young girl whose sweet face to-day 
filled her whole heart with happy thoughts 
wore any better clothes than she herself. 
She had found and loved her first friend ; 

that was enough. When school was out she 
r 


98 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


walked slowly homeward, turning page after 
page of her little book as she went. About 
midway through the volume she came sudden- 
ly upon a great violet and golden pansy laid 
freshly between the leaves. It had marked 
with a tiny purple stain the verses just be- 
neath, which were these: ‘‘Love all for Je- 
sus, but Jesus for himself. Jesus Christ is 
singularly to be loved, and he alone is found 
good and faithful above all friends and on 
the page opposite a fainter trace over the 
words, “ Whatever comes upon thee, endure 
it for the glory of Jesus Christ ; for after 
winter followeth summer, after night the 
day returneth, and after a tempest a great 
calm.’’ Never had good words fallen upon 
Neil’s heart when it had been in a better 
state to receive them. She was softened and 
tender, and very grateful. 

It was early yet — earlier than the school 
would usually be out — and so she chose a 
spot where the hedge was broken, and sitting 
down all alone in the sweet country by-path, 


A FRIEND FOUND AND A FRIEND LOST. 99 

thought more seriously than in all her life 
of this Friend of friends, reading at inter- 
vals a word or two more in the book. 

Neil was unused to showing any emotion 
under Janet’s sarcasm and her father’s cyn- 
ical worldliness ; she had trained herself 
to restrain every tear that started ; but out 
here, alone with God and the beautiful works 
of his hand, she felt more than one tear 
trickle down her cheeks. For a long time 
she had stood waiting to be led in the right 
way. Now, when she found in Jessie’s book 
a prayer that her unskilled lips might not 
have formed, her inmost soul responded to 
it, and she read aloud with earnest, filtering 
voice, O thou loving Lord ! thou k nowest 
my infirmities and the necessities which I 
endure — in how many sins and evils I am 
involved, how often I am weighed down, 
tempted, disturbed and defiled. Behold, I 
stand before thee poor and naked, calling for 
grace and imploring mercy. . . . Lift my 
heart to thee in heaven, and do not send me 


100 


SILAS GO WEE’S DAUGHTEES. 


away to wander over the earth. . . . Con- 
form me unto thyself,” etc. 

The young girl had no thought of forms 
or rituals ; she had only a new, strong desire 
to find this Christ of whom she read, of 
whom Jessie — and now even Alvira — spoke 
with reverent love. She put into the prayer 
her whole soul, and trusted Christ would 
come to her in his own, even if it were to 
her an unknown, way. She repeated to her- 
self, Jessie said I was to read this when- 
ever I read my Bible : I must do it oftener. 
But there is the supper-bell ; I must not be 
as late as this again.” 

She slipped the book into her pocket and 
ran down the roadside and over the hill, 
fortunately getting into the house and ready 
to help Alvira before her father arrived. 
Tibbits and Janet were absent for some 
reason, and Mr. Gower was too busy to be 
very observant or disagreeable. He hurried 
through the meal and out of doors, leaving 
Neil to tell Alvira as much as she liked of 


A FRIEND FOUND AND A FRIEND LOST. 101 

her first day at school. There was not so 
much to report, after all; but Alvira w^-s 
most pleased with the new happiness in the 
fresh young face that had been of late so 
downcast. She herself was very tired that 
night, and Neil thrust her unceremonious- 
ly into the old rocking-chair and washed 
the dishes for her, asking meanwhile where 
Janet had gone. 

‘‘Oh, off with those Selden girls. She 
rigged herself out enough to kill, and start- 
ed away about three o’clock for a picnic at 
Peters’s Pond. Them Selden girls hain’t 
got manners enough to salt ’um. I wish 
Janet would keep better company.” 

Neil made no answer: a sudden thought 
of Jessie came like a sunbeam. When the 
evening work was quite finished she sat down 
alone to rest and to think in the dark piazza. 
At bed-time she stopped, as she passed 
through the kitchen, to say to Alvira, very 
simply, for there was no constraint between 
these two straightforward natures, “Alvira, 


102 


SILAS GOWEB’S DAUGHTERS. 


if a Christian is one who loves and trusts 
Christ, and wants to remember to do just as 
he says, I want to be a Christian from this 
very day.” 

Alvira spoke up quickly : “ Well, then, 
Neil Gower, we will begin together ; but it 
means praying and it means the Bible, and 
love in our hearts and living right — no proud 
fits nor tantrums, like you and Janet have 
sometimes, and no private little ways of 
cheating with eggs and milk to get better 
things to eat, Neil Gower.” 

I know that,” said Neil meekly ; but I 
can try. I mustj now I see how and know it 
is right.” 

Yes, I feel just so. I must too,” return- 
ed Alvira. “ We’ll begin together, and right 
off.” 

With this resolution they parted for the 
night. 

Had Neil not been so busy that week with 
her own interests, she would have noticed that 
all was not right with her brother. His or- 


A FEIENB FOUND AND A FRIEND LOST. 103 

dinary conduct was as monotonously regular 
as liabit could make it, but for a day or two 
Tibbits had been away from home at most 
unusual hours, and had neglected several 
tasks which fell to his lot, thereby annoying 
his father excessively. He was moody, and 
even irritable at times. 

I wish,’’ said Alvira to Neil one morning 
as she was about going to school — I do just 
wish your pa would let up and give Tib a 
loose rein for a little while. If not, I am 
afraid he’ll just break loose and go to de- 
struction. If your pa, now, would sort of 
surprise him with some favor or other — send 
him to the city for a little trip, give him a 
present — do anything but just kind of nag 
and fret him and put all the screw's on at 
once ! That boy is meek and peaceable if 
anybody is kind to him, but he is slowly 
turning ugly, and once thoroughly under 
way there may be smashing trouble to 
come.” 

‘‘Oh, father never wmld send him on a 


104 


SILAS GO WEB’S DAUGHTERS. 


trip, Alvira. And when did he ever give us 
a present ? He is not likely to begin now,” 
answered Neil soberly. 

‘‘ No, I s’pose not. Well, I hope Tibbits 
will settle down and keep cool,” returned 
Alvira, more hopeful in tone than in mind. 
She had seen things of late that Neil had 
not, and she feared a contest between the 
obstinate, angry boy and the strong-willed, 
narrow-minded man. 

After Neil had been gone about an hour, 
and while Janet was in the kitchen, Mr. 
Gower suddenly flung the outer door wide 
open and shouted “ Tibbits !” 

“Hear me, father!” cried Janet pertly, 
“ don’t raise the roof with your voice. We 
haven’t got him hid anywhere around here. 
I’m sure.” 

“Well, he is a miserable shirk, and if he 
don’t quit leavin’ jobs about the place half 
done, and skulking off, he’ll get a tannin’ 
he’ll remember.” 

“ Oh, he’s getting rid of his greenbacks,” 


A FRIEND FOUND AND A FRIEND LOST. 105 

suggested Janet, always prompt to exasperate 
her father in any matter not touching her 
own interests. “I wouldn’t wonder if he 
hadn’t a cent left by this time.” 

Alvira gave her a glance, half entreating, 
half scowling, but she went on lightly : I 
do remember now I saw him going to town 
after breakfast, about the time he ought to 
go to the field.” 

‘‘I’ll warrant,” growled Silas Gower. 

“ I guess,” said Janet, “ he has an idea of 
setting up as a dandy ; he’s laid in a stock 
of new neck-ties.” 

“ Ain’t you ashamed of yourself?” asked 
Alvira bluntly as Mr. Gower slammed the 
door after him. “If that boy, who never 
has a decent tie or a new-shaped collar like 
other fellows, has gone and got two or three 
such things with his own money, what is it 
to you?” 

“Or to youf^ said Janet saucily. She 
longed to say, “ You are only the hired girl,” 
but her ever-selfish prudence made her bite 


106 


SILAS GO WEE’S BAUGHTEES. 


off the end of her sentence. She knew no 
other ‘‘ hired girl ’’ would do Alvira’s work 
for Alvira’s wages, and she was always appre- 
hending a time when Mr. Gower should say 
that she and Neil were able to do without 
help. 

In the mean time, Neil, at school, had 
been thinking constantly of Alvira’s words, 
and wondering if there was anything she 
could do to make her brother more contented. 
She resolved that when she was at home she 
would make him her companion as much as 
possible — would tell him all her plans, her 
pleasures and her school-girl affairs generally. 
When the noon-recess came she went as 
usual to the woods, but found on her lunch- 
table, as she called a great rock, a note from 
Jessie saying that she was going away for a 
day or two. Neil’s first thought after read- 
ing it was, “ I will go home these days. It is 
a long hot walk, to be sure, but perhaps a 
little talk with Tibbits will cheer him and 
make him more friendly than some greater 


A FRIEND FOUND AND A FRIEND LOST. 107 

thing I might do for him when he gets back 
into his ‘ old track/ as Alvira calls it. Poor 
fellow! he does have a stupid life.” 

Neil hastened out to the road, and had 
scarcely started on the way when she was 
overtaken by an old farmer whom she well 
knew. He invited her to ride with him as 
far as the hill near her home, and thus she 
reached the farmhouse just at dinner-time. 
When she ran up the walk and into the 
kitchen, she felt with quick intuition that 
another storm was in the air. Alvira was 
very grave, and sat eating little ; Bob looked 
scared, and Janet was uncommonly quiet, 
while Silas Gower was glumly devouring 
the food before him. 

What are you fooling around here for 
at this time of day?” was his ungracious 
greeting as Neil entered. ‘‘ Trying to wear 
out shoe-leather as fast as you can, I s’pose.” 

Wise from experience, Neil made no an- 
swer, and for a few minutes the only sound 
in the kitchen was the tick-tack of the clock 


108 


SILAS GOWER'S DAUGHTERS. 


and the click-clack of Silas’s knife and his 
old two-tined fork ; but Neil was certain 
from the significant glances Bob cast at 
Tibbits’s empty chair that something relat- 
ing to him had transpired. She was glad 
when her father scraped his chair back and 
went into the other part of the house, where 
was a little room he used as an office. 

‘‘ What is it now, Alvira ?” she asked 
eagerly. 

“ Oh, your father says Tibbits is a miser- 
able, dissipated wretch — that he’s been a- 
drinkin’, a-gamblin’ and a-flingin’ away his 
money right and left. He found him in the 
barn a while ago, and Tib got saucy, and 
your pa undertook to thrash him. Bob come 
a-screechin’ in (he’d been a-peekin’ through 
a crack in the barn-door), and I thought I’d 
just go right off the handle. I just expect- 
ed somebody would be half killed. I don’t 
believe Tibbits actooally hit your pa, but 
he was too strong to be gone at in that way, 
and so they had it, wranglin’ and accusin’.” 


A FRIEND FOUND AND A FRIEND LOST. 109 

‘‘ But where is Tibbits now T’ put in Neil 
when Alvira paused to gasp for breath. 

I don’t know, but I don’t believe he’s 
come out o’ the barn yet; I’ve watched as 
well as I dared. When the coast is clear I’ll 
look. Tibbits hain’t been behaving well, 
but your pa makes mistakes in dealing with 
him. I read yesterday that God himself is 
‘ kind to the unthankful and the evil.’ ” 

Janet and Neil spoke together. Janet 
muttered, How pious we are getting !” 

Neil said, I never thought Tibbits 
wanted to be ‘ evil.’ The trouble is, he can’t 
believe he has anything to be ‘ thankful ’ for. 
I know how that seems.” She rose up from 
the dinner she had scarcely tasted and 
started for the barn. 

Tell him,” called Alvira cautiously, 
that I have saved his dinner and fried the 
potatoes the way he likes them ; and you 
find out if he has done any of those dread- 
ful things.” 

Neil nodded soberly, and went out. She 


110 


SILAS GO WEB’S DAUGHTEBS. 


pulled open the great barn-door and stepped 
softly into the warm twilight of the place, 
where only sweet-scented hay was kept, 
and where the swallows had their homes 
under the roof. Tibbits was nowhere below, 
but she was not surprised at that. She 
climbed up into a loft, and discovered him 
sitting in the hay, only his head visible, and 
that bent in gloomy meditation. He saw 
her, but paid no attention when she sat 
down near him and said, after a moment’s 
silence, Tibbits, I am sorry ; I wish I 
could help you.” 

He answered nothing, so she said next. 
Can’t you get used to father’s ways, and not 
be vexed if — if — if he is not what you 
would like?” 

''No, I can’t.” 

" What is the matter now, Tibbits ?” 

" The matter with me, or the matter with 
father?” 

" With either or both of you.” 

" The matter with me is, that I am tired 


A FRIEND FOUND AND A FRIEND LOST. HI 

of being a plougb-horse — of doing just so 
much hard work in so many hours, and never 
seeing any good, any end, any encourage- 
ment in that work. I eat and drink and 
sleep just like such a beast, and nobody 
cares any more for me. I go down to the 
Corners, and I hear fellows of my age, with 
fathers not half so well off as ours, talking 
of things I ought to know about. How can 
I know anything — no schoolin’, no time 
to read, no papers if I had time — nothing 
but digging, digging to save money ? You 
need not think I want to ‘ laze I don’t. I 
would work myself to skin and bones if I 
had any hope or interest in living.” 

There were scores of moral observations 
of general application which a cool spectator 
might have doled out to this homely, morose 
young fellow who sat there so dejected, but 
Neil knew by sympathy and from experi- 
ence the hard, repulsive forces against which 
he struggled. She sighed, gazing out the 
upper window, across which great sunlit 


112 


SILAS GOWERS S DAUGHTERS. 


clouds were sailing on the blue square of 
sky; she only repeated, am so sorry, 
Tibbits r 

Her sympathy if not voluble was sincere, 
and opened Tibbits’s heart. He continued, 
after a while, What ails father is this : he 
made me about wild with temper one night, 
and I went into town fairly aching to do 
something I had no business to ; I got into 
Reilly’s saloon. I gambled, or tried to learn 
how ; I treated half a dozen fellows to drinks, 
and I wasted money any way I had a chance. 
I acted like a fool, but if anybody thought I 
was enjoying myself, it was a mighty big mis- 
take. Father could never understand it if I 
told him I was so strung up I had to do some- 
thing. Of course that wasn’t any excuse, 
but I don’t ask anybody to excuse me. I 
don’t owe no duty to anybody. As for the 
money, I reckon I’ve saved more than I ever 
wasted. If I go to the devil it is nobody’s 
business. I don’t see the fun in cards or 
whisky — yet.” 


A FRIEND FOUND AND A FRIEND LOST, 113 

That little word “yet’’ was. to Neil like 
the striking of a tiny match that for a second 
shot a light into the possible future of her 
brother. All the sister-love in her awoke, 
and with it every new and Christian impulse, 
stirring her to the utmost. 

“ Oh, Tibbits, don’t talk like that ! I 
have not acted as if I cared much about you, 
but I do. I can love you as much as any 
girl ever loved her brother if you will let me, 
and there may come a change for you of some 
kind. Don’t get discouraged and blue. It 
does matter if you ‘ go to the devil,’ as you 
say. I — I — ” Neil hesitated; a deep flush 
passed over her face as she upturned it to the 
lovely summer sky — “ I am going to try and 
lead a better life myself. I want to be good ; 
I want to believe God is my Father and that 
he loves me and helps me. There must be 
far better ways of living and thinking than 
we have known about.” 

Tibbits’s eyes dilated with surprise, but he 
answered very respectfully, “I never knew 


114 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


of such ways — that is, to care for understand- 
ing them. Only I did hear you and Alvira 
talk good that night father said you could 
go to school.” 

Something in his manner implied that he 
would listen to anything Neil might say ; so 
she went on talking to him, much more 
freely than she ever would have believed 
possible. As he listened all the obstinacy 
and temper seemed to be lost out of his face, 
and he looked only very unhappy. When 
she paused he confessed, “ Well, I would 
like to take a fresh start, but it can’t be 
here^ 

‘‘Oh yes, it can,” began Neil; but he 
really was not listening to what she went on 
to say, for he was turning over in his mind 
a new idea. The striking of the kitchen- 
clock, audible here, reminded Neil that it 
was time she should hurry back to school. 
Her father would allow no remissness in 
anything undertaken. She rose up slowly, 
wishing there was some tangible good she 


A FRIEND FOUND AND A FRIEND LOST. 115 


could bestow upon Tibbits, but there was 
nothing to be thought of. Neil was unde- 
monstrative by nature and habit, but they 
were alone and more in sympathy than ever 
before ; so, a little bashfully, she stooped and 
kissed her brother on the forehead, saying 
playfully, to hide other feeling, ‘‘There 
now ! be a good boy and never do so any 
more, as Alvira tells Bob. We are going to 
be of more help to each other after this.’’ 

Tibbits seized both her hands without a 
trace of reserve, and said, “Neil, you are 
now a sister worth having.” 

She thanked him gratefully and ran for 
her bonnet, only stopping for a word to Al- 
vira before hurrying to school. 

At supper-time Tibbits’s place was again 
vacant. Little Bob, noticing it, was eager to 
make a remark, but Neil touched his hand 
under the table and Alvira filled his mouth 
with a biscuit. He forgot what he wanted 
to say until about bedtime, when he sud- 
denly brought out of his pocket a knife that 


116 SILAS GOWER^S DAUGHTERS. 

belonged to Tibbits, and, showing it to Al- 
vira, said, ‘‘ Tibby gave me that, down by 
the pasture-bars. He picked me up and 
squeezed me so my elbows stuck into my ribs, 
and I squealed — and — and — he said,’’ drawl- 
ed Bob, delighted to find he was awakening 
interest — he said keep it for ever, or till he 
got back again. Oh yes, and he sent this to 
give to Neil when nobody wa’n’t around;” 
whereupon Bob, evidently considering Al- 
vira nobody, flung a paper at Neil. It was 
folded over another five-dollar bill, and in 
Tibbits’s very bad handwriting were the 
words, “ I will remember what you said, 
Neil. But I’m agoin’ : I can’t stand things 
any longer.” 

I declare for it !” exclaimed Alvira, see- 
ing the consternation in Neil’s face ; that’s 
what made him so particular to thank me 
for keepin’ his dinner hot, and he never an- 
swered Janet when she twitted him for going 
on a spree. He sat and looked all about the 
kitchen so slow and mournful-like.” 


A FRIEND FOUND AND A FRIEND LOST. 117 

Where do you suppose he has gone?” 
asked Neil. 

^‘The Lord only knows! Poor fellow! 
We must pray to have him kept out of 
temptation and away from wickedness.” 

Neil dropped into one corner of the old 
settee and sobbed aloud. 

Yes, Tibbits had run away beyond a 
doubt. Every article of his scanty wardrobe 
was missing, and day after day passed with- 
out tidings of him. Silas Gower was very 
angry, but more astonished. He never men- 
tioned the boy, however, and made no effort 
to find him. He only talked more con- 
stantly of financial ruin, the poor-house and 
the necessity of economy. Alvira thought 
him more hard-hearted even than she had 
supposed, while neither of his daughters 
thought his indifference might be less per- 
fect than it seemed. But the fact was, Silas 
Gower was far from being undisturbed. He 
had not, until now, really understood Tibbits’s 
deeply-rooted discontent or he might have 


118 


SILAS G OWLETS LAUGIITEES. 


been more reasonably lenient. He had seen 
only the surface irritation, and fancied he 
could allay that by severe measures rather 
than wisely soothing ones. Now he began 
to question if, after all, he had acted judi- 
ciously in the past. He remembered few sin- 
gle acts of which he repented, but he felt a 
growing dissatisfaction with himself. What 
if Tibbits actually should turn out a dissi- 
pated, worthless fellow, when kindness might 
have saved him ? He turned the matter 
over and over in his mind every day of his 
life, and wondered what course he had best 
pursue. He feared if he recalled him the 
boy would think himself important, put on 
airs,” and act as if his father had made a 
concession to his. dignity. After a while he 
resolved to wait and siee if he succeeded in 
keeping his head above water ; if he did, he 
would learn self-reliance. The contingency 
of his sinking Mr. Gower tried not to look 
at as probable. But Neil would have felt 
more sympathy with her father if she had 


A FRIEND FOUND AND A FRIEND LOST. 119 

known the sleepless nights that Tibbits^s 
absence caused him. 

“ Pa,” said Bob, following him around the 
barn one day, ^‘what do you think? Neil 
says her prayers right in the middle of the 
day sometimes.” 

AVell, that won^t hurt her any.” 

“ I come on her and asked her if that was 
what she was kneeling down for, and she 
said ‘Yes, she was praying for Tibbits.’” 

His father not responding. Bob continued: 
“ I told her I would pray for him too. Do 
you do it in the daytime, or only just when 
you go to bed ? Neil is teaching me beau- 
tiful prayers. How queer you didn’t any of 
you know before this that I was big enough 
to pray myself!” 

Mr. Gower interrupted his' discourse by 
sending him for a file, but away down in the 
father’s heart was a half-grateful feeling, as 
if in some way Neil was making amends to 
Tibbits for his harshness; yet Silas Gower 
professed not to see much use in prayer. 


CHAPTER VI. 


JESSIE’S PLANS. 

TV AYS came and went in the Gower home- 
^ stead, and a careless observer would 
have seen little change. Tibbits’s absence 
continued to gall his father, while to Janet 
it seemed a matter of indifference. Neil and 
Alvira were his only sincere mourners, yet 
they could not but agree with one another 
that it might be best for Tibbits to be his 
own master for a while, in order to test the 
satisfaction arising from such a state of 
things. Neil herself was doing well in 
school and becoming very happy with her 
new friend. Janet sneered at NeiPs friend- 
ship, but treated her a little more respect- 
fully on account of it. It was very vexa- 
tious to have Jessie take her sister to ride in 

the pony phaeton while she stayed at home, 
120 


JESSIE’S PLANS. 


121 


but then it was something to boast of to the 
girls at the Corners, who looked up to Miss 
Bromley as quite out of their sphere. 

Meanwhile, Jessie and Neil had improved 
that noonday hour to such good advantage 
that in about six weeks a wonderful trans- 
formation-scene took place in Neihs little 
south-west chamber. First, Jessie came one 
Saturday and took tea with Neil. The latter 
had not invited her to visit her for a good 
while — not so much from any desire to cover 
up their unpleasant way of housekeeping as 
from an instinct of repugnance toward the 
bringing together of Janet, her father and 
her friend. She knew that Janet would do 
her best to impress Jessie favorably, but Ja- 
net was — Janet. Her father, too, would be as 
agreeable as possible, for secretly he approved 
of Neil for “making friends of the richest 
girl about.” Neil imagined something of 
this, but would rather have introduced Jessie 
to Alvira, and trusted the two to find much 
in common, than to put her in contact with 


122 


SILAS GOWEB’S BAUGHTEBS, 


the others. Still, Jessie had taken her time 
and again to her own home, and had shown 
herself so simple and loving that when she 
said, Let me see that room of yours, Neil ; 
may I not come over Saturday Neil was 
forced to say ‘‘Yes.” 

She told of it the day previous, and over- 
heard her father tell Alvira soon after “ to 
get up a good supper and treat that Bromley 
girl a little extra.” Janet scoffed and flouted, 
but did her hair up in three dozen curling- 
rags. The next afternoon, about three o’clock, 
Jessie tapped at the front door, and was 
ushered into the parlor by Bob, who sat on 
the steps. Neil did not rush at her precipi- 
tately, as Janet would have done, but greeted 
her warmly and introduced her to her sister. 
There was scarcely the faintest trace in Jes- 
sie’s face of the surprise she actually felt 
in meeting this loud-voiced girl with a head 
like a wig in a barber’s case and five rows of 
black beads around her neck. She talked 
very affectionately to Neil, but with tact, 


JESSIE’S PLANS. 


123 


keeping Janet in the conversation by limit- 
ing it to general topics. Janet was awkward 
and diffident until Jessie’s good-breeding 
put her sufficiently at ease to show her own 
lack of it, when she fell into undue familiar- 
ity, tinged with flattery. Happily for all, a 
call came for her, and she was obliged to 
leave them for a half hour or so ; during this 
time the two girls went up to lay out plans 
for a future siege,” as Jessie called it, in 
Neil’s room. The homely little chamber 
was as neat as wax, and Jessie’s first excla- 
mation was, What a lovely south window 
for vines ! and what a pretty sunset view !” 

^^Yes,” said Neil, pleased at Jessie’s en- 
thusiasm. 

Jessie went on : Oh, this room can be 
made delightfully cozy and pleasant : I know 
it can.” Then she added, with comical truth- 
fulness, Isn’t the wall-paper horrid ?” 

I told you it was.” 

Yes. Well, now, Neil, let us see what 
wonderful things can be done ;” and Jessie 


124 


SILAS GOWER'S DAUGHTERS. 


dropped into a seat and clasped her hands as 
if she were about to tell a fairy story. 

‘‘ You said/’ she began with funny import- 
ance, “that you had five dollars to spend 
here ?” 

“ Yes,” answered Neil : “ my brother, who 
has gone away, gave it to me. I would like 
to use it in some pleasant way, and think of 
him connected with the pleasure.” 

“ Well, then,” proposed Jessie, “ I am go- 
ing to the city next week, and if you will trust 
me to do your shopping I might get some 
things.” 

“ I think I can trust you,” answered Neil 
with a happy laugh. 

“ Then, to begin with, this room is small ; 
it will take but a few rolls of plain wall- 
paper to cover it. There are soft light tints 
that come in very cheap rolls ; and if this 
Alvira you praise so highly is one half as 
smart as our housekeeper, she could tear off 
this loose paper and put a new one on as 
well as need be. Now these doors and win- 


JESSIE’S PLANS. 


125 


dows, with the paint about all worn off. Do 
you see, Neil, what a handsome grain the 
real wood has ? and age has given it a kind 
of richness. I believe every bit of the old 
paint could be scrubbed off, and leave the 
doors and windows all the nicer. We must 
have a paper of a tint that harmonizes. 
This floor — it is painted yellow, isn’t it ? 
well painted too ; only I wish it had been 
darker and brown — well, our gardener, who 
lives in that cunning little cottage by the 
north lane, made a floor look exactly like 
oak by getting a pot of brown paint and 
varnish, and sort of sweeping the brown in 
flourishes with a dry stiff brush over the 
yellow. I heard him say it cost him almost 
nothing.” 

‘‘Alvira has a brother who is a house- 
painter,” said Neil. ‘‘She is always helping 
him when his children are sick, and he does 
little things for her ; maybe he’d show us 
how. Paint is cheap.” 

“I presume so,” cried Jessie hopefully. 


126 


SILAS GOWERS S DAUGHTERS. 


“ So, now the room is all nice, let us furnish 
it. This queer old-fashioned chair is pretty 
well battered, but two yards of chintz and a 
bit of bright tidy (so easily made) would 
turn it into a handsome chair of the antique 
sort people try to get now-a-days. Two 
pieces of marble oil -cloth would cover the 
worn tops of the bureau and washstand ; and 
if the wood of your furniture is different, 
the freshness of it is so toned down nobody 
would think anything about it. For the 
windows I know I can find remnants of 
pretty white muslin that will wash when 
necessary, and look lovely looped back with 
gay ribbon. For the floor there is nothing 
easier to make than mats, braided, tufted 
and sewed. I know how to make at least 
four sorts that I have seen at fancy fairs, and 
all from the simplest material — strips of red 
flannel and odds and ends of other things. 
Then you must have a nice little footstool 
and a cover for that little table. One kind 
of things I have a feminine passion for 


JESSIE’S PLANS. 


127 


manufacturing — that is, pincushions and all 
the fussy, pretty mats and things that go 
together — I insist upon providing for my 
own selfish gratification ; they shall match 
the other bright colors in the room and 
Jessie took breath just long enough to gen- 
tly shake Neil in enthusiastic affection before 
she went on : Next week we will go right 
to work and make two or three texts of ferns 
and autumn leaves to hang on the nice new 
wall-paper. (Oh, you need not laugh ! I see 
the whole place changed.) We will put our 
beautiful hanging-basket in the south win- 
dow, with the house-plants James gave us, 
and the ivy and the rustic brackets between 
each window, so the vine can run over the 
curtain-tops. WonH it be beautiful?’’ 

Neil was too happy and bewildered to 
have the clearest idea of the proposed im- 
provements, but she thought them all feasible 
through her faith in Jessie. Jessie intended 
they should be, and was secretly happy in 
the belief that if five dollars could not be 


128 


SILAS GOWEB^S DAUGHTERS. 


stretched to meet her demands — Neil was as 
ignorant as possible of prices and of shopping 
— therefore, if she (Jessie) bewitched that 
five dollars into being worth something more, 
it might for ever be a private affair in her 
own kind little heart. But by this time 
Janet was at liberty, and they returned to 
the parlor, from which they soon departed, 
much to Janet’s surprise, to the barn. She 
thought Neil half demented to invite Jessie 
to go out there to see a very curious bird’s 
nest and a new colt. It would have been 
her taste to have sat in state and talked of 
the fashions worn in the city, to which Jessie 
so carelessly alluded. Nevertheless, she ac- 
companied them. 

‘‘I suppose you find our place awfully 
dull, don’t you ?” she asked — nothing 
going on ever.” 

“I don’t know much about the village, 
but I find plenty of things about home to 
interest me; and then I have found Neil, 
you know.” 


JESSIE’S PLANS. 


129 


Sucli a ricli glow of pleasure flushed into 
NeiFs face at the simple words of the friend 
who spoke as if finding Neil was like finding 
some treasure ! Janet scarcely heard her 
last words, as she herself 'continued : “ I 
know, but there isn’t any style at the Cor- 
ners. How perfectly elegant that blue 
lawn dress fits ! You never had it made 
in these parts?” 

‘‘ In the city,” said Jessie, a little coldly. 

“ I knew you must. — Where are you 
going, Neil? Miss Bromley don’t want to 
look at our pigs.” 

And I am not going to let her see them, 
either, although, as Alvira says, they are 
‘ first rate of their sort.’ I want to show her 
my picture — the view out of the upper window 
over the flats to the woods. See the shadows 
chase light- and dark -green waves over them 
with every change of light. I never tire of 
watching them on half-sunny, half-cloudy 
days like this.” 

To Janet’s chagrin. Miss Bromley cared 


130 


SILAS GO WEE’S DAUGHTERS. 


much more about these shadows than about 
her remarks upon style, although Janet dwelt 
upon matters of this sort at regular intervals 
throughout the afternoon. She could not 
understand how they could fail to suit the 
guest, and wondered, most of all, that Neil 
was as much at ease and as unpretending 
with Jessie as with Alvira. She made great 
eyes at her sister when Neil deliberately led 
Jessie into the kitchen and introduced her to 
Alvira; but Jessie, so far from feeling her 
dignity outraged, put her delicate hand into 
the good woman’s labor-hardened one and 
said cordially, “I know you already; Neil 
talks about you so much. She says she 
knows very few people, but I tell her she 
makes up for it by thinking a great deal 
of those few.” 

Alvira’s sallow cheeks flushed with pleas- 
ure, and when tea-time came Neil perceived 
with pleased amusement that she had carried 
out Mr. Gower’s permission to have a good 
supper to an unprecedented degree, and for 


JESSIE’S PLANS. 


131 


once liad biscuit, cake and sauce that satis- 
fied her hospitable aspirations. 

Silas Gower was himself very deferential to 
Miss Bromley, although after the same fash- 
ion as Janet; but Neil was too happy to 
care, and Jessie, while keen enough to detect 
innate vulgarity and fawning flattery, let 
them go for what they were worth, thinking 
Neil had never seemed so attractive as by 
contrast. She was very courteous to Janet, 
but let her plainly see that she came among 
tliem as NeiFs friend, and as Neil’s only was 
likely to remain. 

It is not to be supposed that this was a 
state of things pleasing to Janet, or that 
when Miss Jessie was out of sight and hear- 
ing she continued in that same strain of 
adulation. Her hair, golden to Neil, was 
pronounced faded yellow,” her expression 
babified,” and her manners not at all citi- 
fied ” in Janet’s estimation ; but little did 
Neil care. She repressed her first angry 
impulses to retort, and to prevent further 


132 


SILAS GOWERS S DAUGHTERS, 


criticism said nothing. She was beginning 
to question if it were not her duty to try and 
get into more kindly relations with her dis- 
agreeable sister. Neil was not one to accept 
religion as a mere badge or accessory to her 
outer life. If in its essence religion meant 
love to God and love to her neighbor, it 
must mean to her just that and nothing 
else. She sat in her room that night and 
thought of all this, wondering also where 
Tibbits was wandering, praying that God 
would keep him from evil and lead her in 
the way she should go. 

It would have been a matter of surprise to 
Neil if she had known how evident it was to 
her father that she was walking in a new 
way. She had always been respectful and 
obedient, but in a family so wholly irreligious 
as this one had heretofore been, no one could 
begin to make personal religion a subject of 
interest — could, as she did, read, pray and 
attend church services — without having it 
known and commented upon, secretly if not 


JESSIE’S PLANS. 


133 


openly. Mr. Gower manifested not the 
slighest interest in her doings, but he over- 
heard parts of many long and earnest con- 
versations between Neil and Alvira, and 
often listened when the latter read aloud — 
slowly as was her habit, for reading was work 
as well as pleasure to this humble seeker 
after truth. Bob was all the time pouring 
into his father’s ears the instruction that fell 
to his lot, and Mr. Gower once or twice, 
when quite alone, opened his Bible with 
a certain curiosity to see that which was 
proving such a power in his family. If the 
reader, however, fancies that as a result 
of some stirrings of conscience Mr. Gower 
became outwardly more placable, the fancy 
would be far from the fact : he grew instead 
more fractious. If he questioned whether 
or not he had been too stingy with Tibbits, 
he appeared more severe than ever in his 
economy, and while he was tending toward 
a more hopeful state spiritually, he was, as 
Alvira put it, ‘‘dreadfully wearing.” 


CHAPTEE YII. 

WHAT JANET DID, 

l^OR many successive weeks no events of 
“*■ importance occurred among the inmates 
of the farmhouse, but influences were at 
work in the life of each that told upon 
character. 

Alvira Higgins had openly avowed her 
determination to be pious,’’ as Janet sneer- 
ingly called it. Her melancholy features 
were lighted up with the happiness that comes 
from new hopes and new interests. She had 
become a regular church-goer, and found 
herself warmly welcomed in a Christian 
circle who worshiped under the guidance of 
a truly spiritual leader. No rain or storm 
ever kept her from a Sabbath service or an 
evening meeting, and what with her persist- 
ent Bible-reading and her eagerness after 

134 


WHAT JANET DID. 


135 


knowledge of the truth, her growth in grace 
w^as marked and rapid. 

Neil had been invited by Jessie into 
church and Sunday-school, and had readily 
accepted the invitation. She had tried to 
get Janet to accompany her, but in vain ; 
only once had she gone, and then simply to 
be seen as an associate of Miss Jessie Brom- 
ley. She arrayed herself in her finest attire, 
expecting to make a sensation ; but Neil, 
ignorant of her designs, and with an in- 
stinctive desire to avoid that very sensation, 
quietly declined Jessie’s invitation to sit with 
her ; so Janet was forced to be inconspicuous 
on a side-aisle. She never went again, and 
conceived a deep-rooted spite toward Jessie. 
She felt herself in some way aggrieved by 
the young girl, who took as a matter of 
course her beauty and her wealth, who had 
no higher aims than Alvira had — to be good 
and to help to make others so. She thought 
her mean-spirited and not very ‘‘smart.” 
She did not betray to Neil one half the 


136 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


petty envy and dislike she really felt, lest 
Neil, whom she judged by herself, should be 
flattered and rejoice more heartily in Jessie’s 
intimacy ; for of a true, sincere friendship 
Janet had no conception ; nothing within 
her gave to her imagination material out of 
which to construct the ideal of such a thing. 

When in Neil’s room the transformation 
proposed by Jessie actually began, curiosity 
to see the end kept Janet from hindering the 
process in any way ; but she was greatly 
puzzled to know where Neil got the money 
for the various little articles that came to 
light. She came to the conclusion that all 
was given by Jessie, never doubting that 
Neil would have taken benefits from anoth- 
er as greedily as she herself would. Indeed, 
she told her surmisings to Silas Gower as a 
facty but he was not in the least disturbed, 
but only secretly congratulated Neil upon 
being sharp enough “ to get something out 
of the girl.” Thus, much to her surprise, 
Neil was spared troublesome questions. 


WHAT JANET DID. 


137 


Jessie spent the five dollars to great advan- 
tage. She began several times, at NeiFs 
direct request, to give a minute account of 
details — how much she spent for this, and 
how much for that — but in one way or an- 
other she always wandered off into descrip- 
tions of new manners of training vines or 
stuffing pin-cushions, and Neil was no wiser. 
But what did it matter to her as long as that 
dingy room was growing into the coziest lit- 
tle nest imaginable? Many Saturdays the 
two girls spent there — first, in bringing all 
in order, then in enjoying the work accom- 
plished. After the last touch had been 
given it Neil rested a short time from her 
labors, and then at Jessie’s suggestion said 
one day to Janet, Let us see if we can’t 
make your room pleasant too, Janet; I’m 
sure we can.” 

‘‘And I’m sure you won’t! Ornament 
the barn if you like, or trim your greens 
around the wood-shed for Alvira’s benefit; 
I haven’t lost my common sense yet. Why 


138 


SILAS GO WEB’S DAUGHTERS, 


didn’t Jessie Bromley give you a set of 
decent furniture, such as she herself has?” 

Neil thought that Janet must have lost 
something much like her boasted “ common 
sense,” but she said nothing. She was com- 
ing into possession of the grace of silence, 
and that often is next in value to the 
grace of charity, that suffereth long and 
is kind.” 

It must not be supposed that Janet was 
always intensely disagreeable. On the con- 
trary, she was usually in excellent humor. 
She had perfect health, strong animal spirits, 
and great tact in managing her father and 
gaining her own way. She rarely made the 
slightest self-sacrifice, always saw any chance 
of benefiting herself that came, and always 
seized it in time ; as to the rest, she was ex- 
actly of Sancho Panza’s opinion, that other 
men’s sorrows are easily borne.” It was 
their happiness, not their sorrows, that af- 
fected her most unpleasantly. The friend- 
ship between Jessie and Neil was at first a 


WHAT JANET DID. 


139 


mystery and at last a grievance to her : the 
two girls were so happy it irritated her. 

Neihs affection for Jessie was very silent, 
but deep and sincere beyond Jessie’s estimate 
even ; for Jessie was the one who ran after ” 
Neil. She came to the farmhouse at every 
opportunity now, and Neil appropriated her 
demonstrative attention with the delight only 
possible to one who had been so loveless and 
so lonesome. No matter how harsh her 
father might be, no matter how cynical or 
selfish Janet appeared, a whole day was 
bright for her if between study and work 
Jessie’s golden head popped in and Neil 
behind some friendly door received a girl- 
ish caress. 

The summer glided into autumn ; the 
leaves turned from green to yellow and 
dropped from the trees ; and each day, on 
her way to school, Neil braced herself 
against a sharper wind and knew by the 
flying snowflakes that winter was at hand. 
She was forced to rise very early in order to 


140 


SILAS GOWEE^S DAUGHTERS. 


get her homeduties done and be at school in 
time. At noon she was of course deprived 
of the hour in the woods, but Jessie came 
occasionally to the schoolhouse. This was 
not convenient in stormy weather, nor 
wholly agreeable at any time, for the place 
was noisy with the scholars who remained. 
After school she had barely time to get 
home before dark, but on Saturdays the 
two girls were together. If Janet contrived 
to have a double portion of work to fall upon 
Neil on that day, Alvira always managed to 
arrange things so that she had a half holiday 
at least. Not unfrequently, also, Jessie came 
and spent the evening; the housekeeper 
from the Bromley House ” would come to 
the Corners, and so accompany her back and 
forth. 

In this way their intercourse was not 
much interrupted by wind or weather. It 
remained for other causes to produce an 
effect upon it. One Friday morning, about 
the last of November, Neil was attacked by 


WHAT JANET DID. 


141 


such a nervous headache as entirely pre- 
vented her from study. At noon it became 
so much more severe that she put her books 
into her strap and with the permission of a 
teacher went home. A few minutes later 
Jessie appeared; failing to find her, and 
supposing she would return when school 
began again, she left a little note upon her 
desk and went away. The next day it was 
destroyed in the weekly thorough cleaning 
of the school-room. Had Neil read it, she 
would have known that Jessie wanted to 
bid her good-bye for a week or more. She 
was going to the city on account of the ill- 
ness of an aunt. Now, Jessie had agreed to 
spend a part of the following Saturday with 
Neil, who next day expected her with eager- 
ness, particularly as, not feeling quite well 
yet, Alvira forced her to take the whole of 
the day for herself. She was greatly disap- 
pointed when hour after hour passed and 
night had brought no visitor. On Sunday 
her headache returned, and she could not go 


142 


SILAS GO WEBS DAUGHTERS. 


out to church ; therefore on Monday she 
thought surely she would see Jessie at noon. 
She had not the time to go to her, and if she 
had, it is doubtful if she would not have 
waited just the same. If Jessie were sick or 
detained in any way, she knew it was an easy 
matter for her to let the fact be known. 
Day after day passed without a word from 
her. Neil was first surprised, then sorely 
grieved. When Saturday came again she 
took heart, and was very certain Jessie would 
reappear to explain everything. It was a 
lovely day, not unlike the Indian summer, 
and Neil sprang up that morning heartily 
ashamed of two or three thoughts that had 
lately flitted through her mind ; yet it was 
hardly to be expected she would be wholly 
indifferent to some of Janet’s insinuations, 
such, for instance, as, Seems to me our won- 
derful friendship is cooling off.” — Where 
is our Miss Bromley? What new one has 
she patronized lately ?” etc. 

Neil put the pretty room into its most 


WHAT JANET DID. 


143 


exquisite order, turned a pink geranium- 
blossom into the very best light, and won- 
dered and wondered why Jessie did not come. 
Janet observed her preparations for Jessie’s 
entertainment with secret malice. Had she 
known how lonely and hurt Neil felt as the 
day wore away, she would perhaps have been 
sorry for her instead ; as it was, an evil 
spirit took possession of her, and she re- 
joiced in Neil’s discomfiture. 

Just at sunset Bob came running up the 
road and met Janet at the gate. 

‘‘What have you got there. Bob?” 

“ Oh, somethin’ for Neil. That w^oman 
that comes here with Jessie Bromley some 
nights, you know, she give it to me right out 
here — said to give it to Neil.” 

Bob thrust it at her and ran away. 
Janet glanced over her shoulder. All the 
doors and windows were closed, Neil was in 
her own room on the other side of the house ; 
so, holding the note low between herself and 
the gate, Janet read its contents: 


144 


SILAS GOWER'S DAUGHTERS. 


Satukday, 5 o’clock P. M. 

Dear Neil : 

I was so sorry not to see you that Friday 
I went away ! My aunt was very sick, and 
I stayed till she was out of danger. My 
cousin Gertrude could not bear to have me 
leave her ; she worried herself sick, or almost 
so, and her father has sent her back with me 
to rest. This will keep me shut up closely 
in the house for some time. She is an only 
child, exacting like myself, and wants her 
friends all the time with her, as I want you. 
I returned only half an hour ago. Won’t 
you please come over and stay two or three 
hours ? We can have then a nice long talk. 
Gertrude is tired and has gone to bed. Come 
and sit with me in church to-morrow. After 
this you must be the one to devote yourself 
to me, for I must not run away from my 
guest, you know. Come early, and late, and 
often. Be sure and show yourself to-night. 

Yours, 

Jessie. 


WHAT JANET DID. 


145 


Tlie girlish epistle, underlined of course, 
Janet read with increasing spite : ‘‘ Humph ! 
So we are going to have a fine city friend, 
are we ? Sit with them in church, indeed ! 
It is too mean ! Neil isn’t one half so smart 
as I am, and no better-looking ; but I can 
dig and work and be nobody, while she as- 
sociates with fine gentry. I won’t stand it ! 
I won’t ! — Bob ! Bob ! Bob Gower !” 

Bob left a group of dirty urchins (himself 
the dirtiest of all) and slowly approached her. 
She had torn the note directly in two, keep- 
ing back the one page written on either side, 
and now showed to Bob the other blank half 
sheet : 

‘‘Was this what she gave you. Bob?” 
“Why, yes; I told you so,” he snarled, 
vexed at being called from his play. 

“ Well, see there is nothing written on it. 
What is it for ?” 

“I don’t know. Let me go.” 

“ Then run away. She was teasing you ; 

she did not mean anything.” 

10 


146 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


Bob, who evidently did not care a straw 
what anything meant beyond the mud-fort 
he was helping to erect, rushed up the road 
again, while Janet went into the house. She 
walked slowly through the kitchen into a 
wood-house beyond, in one corner of which 
Bob had a spot sacred to his old tops, hoops 
and spool- wheeled carts made out of shingles. 
Into the very thickest of these treasures, 
which no one ever molested, she dropped 
Jessie’s note, and then, darting back into 
the kitchen, went about getting supper. 

Alvira, somewhat later, noticed regretfully 
the trouble in Neil’s face and the fact that 
she had no appetite, for she gave her cake 
to Bob, whose mouth was always open, like 
a hungry birdling’s, if a dainty were in sight. 
She surmised the true cause of her trouble, 
but thought best not to speak of it. She knew 
Jessie Bromley only througli Neil, and Neil 
had no disloyalty in her own nature, there- 
fore would not suspect it in another until it 
discovered itself plainly. Alvira was older 


WHAT JANET DID. 


147 


in worldly wisdom than Neil, and reflected 
that it was not a common thing for a young 
girl to care so little for mere show and ex- 
ternals as Jessie seemed to care. Perhaps it 
had been a freak, and she had begun to tire 
of Neil as of an old story ; and now Neil 
must realize this to her sorrow. It would be 
a cruel disillusion, and Alvira understood her 
well enough to know she would rather not 
talk of it, even to her. She heard Neil go 
back to her own room and shut the door, not 
coming out again that night. It was a dole- 
ful Saturday night to the young girl. She 
cried herself to sleep after thinking a little 
of her trials : Tibbits away, perhaps poor 
and in want ; Janet growing more unkind 
every day ; and now Jessie, who had come 
into her life like sunshine — was she going 
out, to leave her more lonely than ever ? 

The next morning Neil dressed herself 
for church a little nervously. Certainly, if 
Jessie were there some explanation of her 
neglectful behavior would be given. She 


148 


SILAS GO WEE’S DAUGHTERS. 


was early in the church, and chose a seat 
where Jessie could see her, but need not face 
her ; for of the two girls Neil was really far 
the prouder. The house was rapidly filling 
when Jessie entered, and with her a tall, 
elegant girl, much more showily dressed, al- 
though Jessie herself wore a beautiful soft- 
tinted new suit. Such foolish little things 
seem added weights on a heavy heart. The 
elegant attire of Jessie and her city friend 
took all hope out of our usually sensible Neil ; 
she said to herself, ‘‘ She is tired of me, or 
ashamed. Well, I am warned ; I shall not 
intrude myself;” and NeiFs head went up 
every bit as haughtily as that city ” girl’s, 
and all the good words of the preacher were 
that day lost upon her. 

Jessie kept turning round with a quick 
glance, as if expecting some one, until after 
the service began. She did not then think 
of looking about the church for Neil, and so 
it happened she did not see her until the 
congregation passed out of the house. Then 


WHAT JANET DID. 


149 


wliat was her surprise to have Neil pass near 
her without a glance of recognition ! — not 
near enough for Jessie to reach her, but from 
a direction that made it plain she must have 
seen Jessie. Neil went home feeling more bit- 
terly toward life — her life than ever before. 
Jessie was left in bewilderment ; at last she 
was forced to the conclusion that Neil did 
not like the contents of her note, and was 
angry and jealous that she had brought back 
her cousin. What else could it be ? Jessie had 
instinctively divined that Neil had a larger, 
stronger character than her own, but this 
showed a pettiness, a vulgarity of nature, 
which shocked her. She could have believed 
it of Janet, but of Neil, who seemed so like 
a pearl in a dingy setting, could it be possible? 
Yet they were sisters, and maybe alike after 
all. As Jessie ran past events in review 
before her mind she felt that self-respect 
forbade her making any further advances. 
She had heretofore ^‘run after’’ Neil; now 
let Neil define her position. If she were 


150 


STL AS GOWEE^S BAUGHTEES. 


really caj)able of such smallness of mind, 
Jessie could not long love or respect her. 
She could not believe the suspicion of her 
heart, but it chilled and depressed her not- 
withstanding by the fear that it might be 
correct. 

So Janet succeeded in spoiling the Sab- 
bath-day for the two friends, and did not 
herself keep it in any way holy. 

Jessie’s cousin was a spoiled child who 
had grown into a sickly, hysterical girl, ex- 
acting, sentimental and selfish. She has 
nothing to do with our story, only as she 
happened to appear in an unfortunate time 
for the new friendship. She stayed two 
weeks, kept Jessie from her usual pursuits, 
and prevented her in this way from an acci- 
dental meeting with Neil. The latter some- 
times saw them riding together or sitting 
side by side in church, and could put but 
one construction upon Jessie’s apparent cold- 
ness and neglect. So the matter stood 
through many a long, dreary day. 


CHAPTEK VIII. 


THE RECORD. 

TN the next few weeks Neil made the great 
mistake of brooding over her troubles, and 
then trying to overcome them in her own 
strengtli. Alvira, whose eyes were of the 
keenest, noticed that the dust not infre- 
quently collected upon the Bible that Neil 
had once begun to study so faithfully. She 
did not now seek opportunities for talking 
about the Christian life, and Alvira was 
sorely afraid lest the good seed was quite 
withering away in the young girPs heart. 
The truth was, at first Neil found that every 
good thing to which she had attached her- 
self was in some way associated with Jessie. 
This fact, which had been a blessing in the 
past, was now only a source of pain ; but 
there was needed discipline in this pain that 

151 


152 


SILAS GO WEB’S BAUGHTEBS. 


she could not yet recognize. Her love for 
Jessie had so filled her heart that she had 
settled herself into it as into a sure posses- 
sion, and had in a measure forgotten that we 
“ must love all for Jesus, but Jesus for him- 
self.’’ It had been easy to be a Christian 
when loving Christ meant loving also her 
charming new friend — when going to church 
meant worshiping side by side with Jessie — 
when j^rayer meant thanking God for all 
the bright, beautiful hopes that seemed un- 
folding like June roses. Now, if she were 
really a Christian, she must experience not 
only the truth of the words of Jessie’s little 
book, Without a friend thou canst not 
well live,” but most of all the assurance that 
“if Jesus be not above all friends to thee, 
thou shalt be indeed sad and desolate.” 

Neil, as we have hinted, neglected Bible- 
reading and prayer, spending her leisure in 
thinking of Jessie’s neglect, wondering bit- 
terly how far she could be the sincere, lova- 
ble girl she had seemed and yet be so un- 


THE RECORD. 


153 


kind. No wonder was it that every such 
meditation left her more faithless, more 
deeply wounded and more ready to be biased 
by Janet’s sarcasms; but finally pride and 
resolution came to the rescue, and Neil re- 
solved to forget the whole matter in study. 

She ranked already among the best scholars 
in the academy, yet she determined to study 
with her whole heart and soul to have the 
honor, undisputed, of being the very best in 
all her classes. She would show Jessie that 
others respected merit if she did not ; and so 
she bent over her books late at night, early in 
the morning and in every time of recreation. 
The result of such application was soon 
apparent. The principal of the academy 
met Mr. Gower one day and spoke of Neil’s 
progress as remarkable and worthy of great 
commendation. Her father was secretly 
much pleased ; he thought to himself, The 
more she crams, the sooner she can get paid 
for cramming others.” He let her free 
after that from several tasks at home, and 


154 


SILAS GOWERS S DAUGHTERS. 


did not fall into Janet’s snares for keeping 
her from her books. The last Friday in 
February was the end of a school-term and 
the occasion of a formal public examina- 
tion. The largest school-room was crowded 
with friends of the pupils and with promi- 
nent citizens. Silas Gower, Janet and Al- 
vira were present, curious to see how Neil 
would carry herself Away back in one end 
of the room Alvira saw Jessie Bromley, and 
wondered if Neil knew that she was there. 
Alvira was troubled about Neil’s spiritual 
welfare, but she was proud of her learnin’ ” 
notwithstanding. She watched her with ea- 
ger admiration when she came quietly for- 
ward and recited with a sweetness and correct 
expression not acquired by art an exquisite 
poem selected for her. She stood a severe 
and impartial questioning in the several 
test-examinations, and at the close of the 
exercises was, in presence of all the people 
who made up her little world, declared to 
be the only scholar in the academy who had 


THE RECORD. 


155 


for the half year gone preserved an absolute- 
ly faultless record in every study and in her 
deportment. No prizes were awarded in the 
school, as application, like virtue, was be- 
lieved to be its own reward ; but Neil had 
gained all she desired. When the exhibition 
ended the audience lingered a few moments, 
and Neil, who was by that time well known 
to all her schoolmates, received from them 
and their friends hearty congratulations and 
greetings. Silas Gower took notes, so to 
speak, and from that day ceased to brag that 
he never had six months’ schoolin’ in his 
life,” and began, when entirely out of her 
hearing, to boast of that youngest girl of 
mine.” 

The day’s events were so new to Neil that 
while she laughed and chatted her cheeks 
flushed and her eyes were bright with excite- 
ment. She drew back from the crowd after 
a few moments, and began to search in her 
desk for a missing book ; as she bent over, 
being quite near the door where the people 


156 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


were passing out, a low, well-known voice 
said softly, ‘‘I am very glad to see you so 
honored, Neil.” 

Surprise, pride, and even anger, made 
Neil’s face colorless as she said rigidly, ‘‘ I 
thank you.” A lady thrust herself between 
them, and Jessie was swept by the moving 
mass on and out of sight. Would Jessie 
begin to patronize her again because she was 
just now popular? or did she think one kind 
word would bring her humbly back to beg 
for the friendship so inexplicably withdrawn ? 
All the excitement and pleasure of the day 
faded out of her thoughts, and she returned 
home in a tired, disgusted frame of mind. 
What now should she do ? what new interest 
take up ? It was a comparatively easy mat- 
ter to retain her standing in school, and 
while her industry would continue her en- 
thusiasm might not. She was turning all 
these things over in her mind as Alvira talked 
to her of the proceedings of the academy, 
and she was almost cross to her; to Janet 


THE RECORD. 


157 


she was entirely so, for when she was told 
that her new gray merino made her look like 
a Quakeress, she retorted by declaring Janet 
herself resembled a ‘‘last year’s fashion- 
plate.” Had she said “ this year’s,” Janet 
would have taken it as flattery rather than 
insult, but in the actual circumstances she 
was very angry, and the sisters quarreled 
vigorously. 

Somewhat later Neil went to her room far 
more miserable than any young girl with a 
“ faultless record ” ought to be. Was there 
any other record outside her school-life under 
which, with equal truth, could be written, 
“ faultless ”? A pertinent question this, and 
one that had to be answered, but not that 
might. As her tired head sank in the pil- 
low the low tones of Jessie’s voice returned 
to her. She wished that she had looked up 
in time to see her face, although she saw it 
often in recollection, and did that very mo- 
ment in the dark — the sweet, loving mouth, 
her eager great eyes always full of light, and 


158 


SILAS GOWLB^S DAUGHTERS. 


lier shining, beautiful hair. I did love her, 
and I do/’ said Neil to herself, her own eyes 
running over with tears. But I never will 
take one step toward her — never, unless she 
takes two toward me.” 

It was Sunday afternoon, but all the 
Gowers were at home. The reason of this 
was apparent, for the fiercest storm of the year 
raged about the old farmhouse. Every loose 
board or blind banged in the wind, or was torn 
from its place and sent flying through the 
driving rain and sleet. Mr. Gower was in 
his office, busy with his cash-books and 
ledgers, for what to him was the use of a 
Sabbath-day if it was not to straighten up 
all matters pertaining to business? Alvira 
more than once had said to herself, ‘‘ If that 
old hymn about heaven bein’ a place where 
Sabbaths never end is known to Silas Gow- 
er, and he remembers there ain’t no buyin’ 
nor soilin’ goin’ on there, and no gold around 
only for trimming— and free for everybody 


THE RECORD. 


159 


at that — I should admire to know what he 
s^posed he’d set himself a-doin’ if he ever 
got there, as he says everybody will, good 
and bad?” But Silas Gower never put 
questions of this sort to himself. Earth 
contained all he longed to grasp, and his 
hands never clutched enough of its moth- 
and-rust treasures. Heaven was for dreamers 
and people about to die, not for business- 
men. 

But to go on with this particular Sunday 
we speak of : Janet had gone to bed to read 
a paper- covered novel borrowed of the 
Selden girls. The warm and comfortable 
kitchen was left to Alvira, Bob and the old 
gray cat, for Heil had been shut up in her 
room since noon. Toward night she came 
down stairs with a listless, melancholy air. 
Alvira watched her as she stood gazing out 
the window at the dismal rain, and she re- 
solved to free her mind that very day of a 
certain sense of responsibility. 

Well, now,” she began, to be deprived 


160 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


of a Sunday in cliurcli and Sabbath-school 
is a real ‘ depravity/ as old Granny Hicks 
used to say — ain’t it?” 

‘‘Do you find it so?” 

“I reckon I do — don’t you?” 

“Not so much as I used to think it.” 

“Oh, maybe you feel, then, as I have 
done to-day — that if I can’t get to other 
Christians, I can get to Christ just as easy 
right here in this ’ere old kitchen as in a 
meetin'-house with a steeple on top of it ; and 
the Bible, after all, is as good spelled out 
slow, my fashion, as a-runnin’ fast into my 
ears. It is almost better on some accounts. 
I’m slow at ketchin’ words on the wing, but 
here at home I get out my Bible, and now-a- 
days open most anywhere : and, oh dearie 
me! it is just like goin’ to Europe.” 

“ Going to Europe !” echoed Neil in 
amazement. 

“Yes. Don’t you remember that Mrs. 
Strong I told you about once, the one I took 
care of till she died of cancer? Well, she 


THE RECORD. 


161 


had been a great traveler. I never knowed 
nothin’ about gografy and foreign parts till 
she told me such lots of things, and in a 
way it made me fairly see pictures. Often 
it was the Alps — wonderful peaks, you know, 
all glory and white mist- clouds and rose- 
color and purple and sunrises and sunsets. 
Some Bible verses are like that to me ; it is 
mostly so with them ‘according to’s’ that are 
scattered everywhere.” 

With a quick intuition like a sharp pain 
Neil felt that this earnest working-woman 
had gone beyond her in spiritual things, and 
she asked meekly, 

“What do you mean, Alvira?” 

“ ‘ Walk worthy of the Lord, unto all 
pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, 
and increasing in the knowledge of God ; 
strengthened with all might, according to his 
glorious 'power ^ unto all patience and long- 
suffering with joyfulness.’ Just think of 
that 'measure^ will you ? The glorious power 
of God to be the measure of the strength he 
11 


162 


SILAS G OWLETS BAUGIITEES. 


can give us to walk worthily ! Oli, there are 
so many other verses, just like one great 
beautiful peak above another until the tops 
are in heaven — like ‘ being strengthened 
according to the riches of his glory ^ that ‘ we 
may be able to comprehend the love of 
Christ that passeth knowledge,’ and to be 
‘ rooted and grounded in love.’ ” 

Alvira, out of breath with her unusual 
energy, stopped, but only for a moment. 

‘‘ It is wonderful, but I do not understand 
it. Do you?” asked the young girl. 

The woman gazed thoughtfully into the 
fire, and did not at once answer; then she 
looked up and pointed directly out into the 
desolate barnyard, where the storm was 
beating the bare black branches against the 
tumbledown sheds. 

understand it, just as I understand 
when I look out there in that back yard, 
right here in Bricktop Corners, that some- 
how and somewhere in this very same world 
there are them Alps, all glory and rainbows 


THE RECORD. 


163 


and light, and if I only travel long enough 
toward ’em I’d find ’em, sure as I live. I’m 
only Alvira Higgins yet, and I guess my 
soul is about as homely a place as that barn- 
yard, though there ain’t no storm a-ragin’ 
through it — it’s the old place, with the Lord’s 
blessed sunshine lighting it all up — but nev- 
ertheless I can understand how some day 
God can work in me ‘ according to ’ some of 
those wonderful measures of his own, and 
I shall know all about things I can only 
believe in now, like the Alps. At present 
it fills my heart about as full as I can have 
it to realize two other things — simple, plain, 
sweet things — that are to me like eating, 
drinking and sleeping.” 

Tell me what they are,” continued Neil, 
meekly as before. 

Alvira looked her full in the face with an 
earnestness she felt was significant ; then she 
said, “I realize that my Saviour can have 
‘compassion on the ignorant and on them 
that are out of the way.’ That gives me 


164 


SILAS GOWERS S DAUGHTERS. 


faith, and faith is the first thing; then I 
have found that I can ‘obtain mercy and 
find grace to help in time of need;’ and 
every single hour of my life is a time of 
need.” 

There was silence in the room for a few 
moments, and then Neil said, 

“I don’t believe I am a Christian at 
all.” 

“ I’ve had my doubts about you’re bein’ 
one,” added Alvira succinctly. 

She did it to test Neil’s humility, but see- 
ing the tears slowly gathering in her eyes, 
instead of the angry flush that she had too 
often of late seen in her cheeks, she went on 
sympathizingly : “ Let us see about this. 

Do you feel that you are ignorant and out 
of the way ?” 

“ Yes, I feel that that is the very trouble 
with me.” 

“Do you really believe that Christ has 
compassion on such?” 

“Yes,” said Neil slowly — “yes I do.” 


THE RECORD. 


165 


“ How long since you have read a chapter 
in the Bible to enjoy it?’’ 

‘‘A good many weeks.” 

How long since you have prayed ?” 

‘‘ I’ve said the Lord’s Prayer off and on.” 

‘‘ Never you mind, Neil Gower, what your 
tongue has said. How long since you have 
prayed as you began praying when you did 
think you were a Christian — prayed a gen- 
uine prayer, I mean ?” 

“I — Two or three months.” 

“ Well, now, I’d like to ask what good 
your believing in Christ’s compassion does you 
if you never try to obtain mercy and never 
ask for his grace to help in time of need ?” 

Alvira had the best of the case, and Neil 
acknowledged it by silence. 

“ Some folks seem to lay down their com- 
mon sense the very minute they take up re- 
ligion. S’posin’ when you said last fall, ‘ I 
am going to be a scholar,’ you had, after a 
week or two, left all your books at home and 
stayed away from the teachers at class-hours, 


166 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


and in about three months after had said, ^ I 
don’t fee] as if I knew anything about team- 
in’ ; I ain’t a scholar, after all.’ You wa’n’t 
so foolish as to think settin’ down your name 
and showing your face at the academy was 
enough. Why should you s’pose, if you set 
out all right as a Christian, you was to keep 
feelin’ like one without prayin’ and strivin’ 
and havin’ a teacher — a-doing nothing but 
goin’ to a church ? It is well for you our 
Lord has compassion, or he might expel you 
from his school the first thing. But now I’ll 
tell you what you’ve got to do. Never mind 
what your state of mind was last fall, or 
what you called yourself. Now, you know 
you have got to begin over again by the 
name of a big sinner ; or don’t you feel 
you must ?” 

I feel ashamed of myself. I feel mean, 
and as if I could not bear to look inside.” 

Well, then, don’t. Look to Christ, and 
ask him to deal with that mean inside — to 
cleanse it for you, because you can’t, and to 


THE RECORD. 


167 


put liis Holy Spirit in you — Ho strengthen 
you with might in the inner man/ you know. 
Do you go, this very Sunday afternoon, and 
stay on your knees till you realize what you 
are cheatin’ your soul of by keeping ofi* them 
all this time. Then hereafter, if you want 
evidence that you’re a Christian, don’t try 
to get it by shuttin’ up your Bible and your 
closet-door. Do remember and mix up your 
religion with holy common sense. I ain’t 
anything but a new convert myself, but it 
does appear to me that lots of folks fizzle 
out because they don’t see this or don’t do it. 
Why, what would you say to a body that 
tried to convince themselves they couldn’t 
be in good health because they needed vittals 
and drink to keep them feelin’ well ? Then, 
too, readin’ the Bible and prayin’ ain’t all : 
there’s livin ^ — like the work we take our 
nourishment for.” 

Neil revolved Alvira’s words in her mind, 
and was perfectly sure that in the matter of 
living ” she had failed, as well as in ‘‘ read- 


168 


SILAS GOWER’S BAUGHTEMS. 


iiig and praying/’ Her thoroughly-aroused 
conscience began to accuse her of many a sin 
of commission and more sins of omission. Al- 
vira knew by the expression of her face that 
she need not press her further with reproof 
or counsel ; so she leaned back in her old 
rocking-chair and sang a ‘‘spiritual song,” 
with more true melody in her heart than in 
her voice. After a while Neil went back to 
her room with the firm resolution of making 
bare her heart to the “ Father that seeth in 
secret.” She herself looked at that heart 
and its life in the clear light of gospel truth, 
and she recognized as never before her own 
worthlessness and inefiiciency. She besought 
God’s forgiveness for the past with earnest 
prayer, and begged that in the future she 
might have the strength and grace promised 
to those who seek it aright. Her prayer was 
heard, for the cloud of unbelief, impatience 
and discontent that had for weeks overhung: 
her gradually lifted, leaving her penitent, 
hopeful and full of gratitude to the Saviour 


THE BECOBD. 


169 


who recalled her when she was indeed “ out 
of the way/’ 

At this season of the year there was a 
vacation for the academy scholars, lasting 
nearly three weeks. Neil was very glad of 
this, for several reasons. For one thing, it 
gave her a chance to get into a little more 
friendly relations with Janet, and in other 
ways to begin, here at home, to strive to be 
more of a consistent Christian than hitherto. 
For a few days she was quite happy in her 
new undertakings ; Janet was more amiable, 
and Alvira was of great aid to her, smooth- 
ing out of her path many an obstacle and 
taking on herself many a care, for by 
nature, as well as by Christian principle, 
Alvira was quick to carry out the precept, 
“ Bear ye one another’s burdens.” 

One afternoon the girls had gone into the 
village and Alvira was alone in the house, 
when, looking up, she saw Mr. Gower at the 
gate talking with the overseer of the poor. 
The latter had given him a letter, and stood 


170 SILAS GO WEB’S DAUGHTERS. 

talking about it. Alvira smiled grimly, 
thinking to herself, ‘‘ I wonder if he is 
making arrangements for going to the poor- 
house ? He always said he should come on 
the county if I put so much shortenin’ in the 
pie-crust.” 

In a few moments Silas Gower opened the 
outer door and came into the kitchen with a 
most uncommonly sour look upon his sallow 
face. He walked about in a sort of aimless 
discontent, took up the stove-covers and re- 
marked on the unnecessary amount of fuel 
inside, grumbled over a variety of other mat- 
ters as monotonous by repetition in Alvira’s 
ears as the creaking of the old well-sweep, 
and not more heeded by her; finally, he 
snarled with sudden vehement spitefulness, 
Here’s a pretty fuss ! That young wretch 
has got me in another fix, or would like to. 
He won’t, though ! Let him get out of it 
without my help, just as he got into trouble.” 

Who ? out of what ?” asked Alvira with 
forebodings. 


THE RECORD. 


171 


‘‘Oh, I’ve just had the poor-master after 
me with a letter from some meddler about 

the city hospital in D , telling how Tib- 

bits is there with a fever. He has been 
earnin’ nothin’, I suppose, and now thinks 
it’ll be a nice idea to run me into expense. 
He need not have told a soul that he had 
any relation, and then the city would prob- 
ably give him his care and his nursing free ; 
hut he did not remember that, or else he told 
it just to spite me. I sent word back that 
I’d disinherited him, and he was not any- 
thing to me, and I wouldn’t be responsible 
for one cent for him. If he has got into 
such a place, they won’t turn him out ; and 
he might as well have it free as for me to 
pay expenses. I can’t stand thatJ’ 

“ Poor fellow ! Is he very sick ? What 
kind of a fever has he got ?” asked Alvira 
eagerly. 

“Likely as not his fever is a humbug,” 
muttered Mr. Gower uneasily. “ He thinks 
he’ll play on our sympathies.” 


172 


SILAS GOWERS S DAUGHTERS. 


Alvira, in her indignation, longed to say 
that he never would try to play on an in- 
strument so purely imaginary as Mr. Gow- 
er’s sympathies, but she suggested instead. 
You’ll get him home as soon as he’s able, I 
s’pose ?” 

‘‘And I don’t s’pose I will. I am quit of 
him, and quit of him I’ll stay, especially if 
he’s used himself all up like this.” 

“ What if he dies ?” 

“ He won’t die. The Gowers are a tough, 
long-lived crew. I myself have outlived a 
dozen such spells. He will have the best of 
city doctoring, and that’s what he could not 
have at home. Oh, they’ll fetch him out all 
right.” 

“ Well,” said Alvira deliberately — and 
from her tone one could have predicted that 
she was about to speak with plainness — “ if 
he can have the best of care at the hospital, 
let him stay there, after you’ve made sure he 
will, and that he don’t go without nothing 
that money can buy. Your son’s life is 


THE RECORD. 


173 


more to you than silver or gold, unless you’re 
a heathen; and I don’t wish to slander a 
respectable heathen, either. Of course the 
girls must go to see him right off, and you’ll 
tell him he’s got a home here yet.” 

‘‘No,” snapped Mr. Gower pettishly, “I’ll 
let well enough alone. I tell you he ain’t 
any son of mine, no longer.” 

“ And I tell you what it is, Silas Gower,” 
returned Alvira, forgetful of her subordinate 
position as his servant, “there are mighty 
few such fathers as you are in the world, and 
the genuine pattern must have been pretty 
different, or else the Bible never would have 
said, ‘ Like as a father pitieth his children, 
so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.’ 
Ain’t there a bit of pity in your heart?” 

“There ain’t any bosh in it,” retorted 
Silas wrathfully. “ I tell you, the boy is as 
well off as anybody can be.” 

“ Can’t Neil go and see him once, to find 
out?” 

“No. If it is understood from the first 


174 


SILAS GOWER^S DAUGHTERS. 


that nobody will pay for his board and 
nursing, he’ll get it free ; if well-appearing 
relations go a-fooling around the hospital, 
why the relations will have to pay the bills, 
that’s all ; and ’tain’t no use or sense to throw 
away money for what can be got for nothin’ 
by a little managing. Besides, ’tain’t safe ; 
fevers are catching, and Neil is weakly ; 
she’d be sure to take it. — Bob, come here ! 
What is that bulging out of your pockets ?” 

Bob, who had alighted upon the scene with 
an apple in each hand and two protuberances 
on either hip, was planning a hasty exit 
when this order came to advance. He only 
halted and faltered, ‘‘Anapple.” 

^AVhat?” 

Twapples.” 

Two apples?” growled Mr. Gower, over- 
shadowing the scared juvenile. ‘‘We will 
see about this.” He took from each fat 
paw a red apple, and diving into the small 
breeches-pockets brought out two green ones, 
a russet one tumbling out from between his 


THE RECORD. 


175 


shirt and his jacket. The cellar was stored 
with them, but on principle Mr. Gower 
thundered, ^‘Bob, if you ever load up like 
this again. I’ll trounce you. I believe you 
give them away. Those apples would make 
a whole pie. Go away with you !” 

Bob scudded, while his father rolled the 
apples to the back of the table and lingered 
about the kitchen to see what Alvira would 
say next about Tibbits. 

She said nothing at all ; so, after a long 
silence, he remarked, Shut those girls right 
up if they speak one word about the city. 
I won’t hear to it — not a lisp !” So saying, 
he slammed the door and departed. 

He had not been gone long before the two 
girls returned. Janet was in high spirits. 
She had met her cronies, the Selden girls, 
and had been invited to a birthday-party at 
their home on the next evening but one. 
Neil had also been asked to come, but so 
coldly that she knew the invitation was 
forced from them by her presence. She 


176 


SILAS G 0 WEB ’S BA UGHTEBS. 


declined it courteously, secretly glad that 
it was so frigidly proffered. She did not 
wish to hold herself aloof from Janet and her 
friends through any feeling of superiority, 
but they talked of matters quite out of the 
line of her thinking; their jokes jarred upon 
her ; and their manners were boisterous and 
unlady-like. She was wondering how far 
she ought to associate with them, how far she 
might shun them, meanwhile following Janet 
into the room with a thoughtful face. 

I am glad something lively is going on 
at last, and that it’s a party too,” cried 
Janet, flinging herself on the old lounge. 
‘‘ It is to be a dance — a regular fiddler hired 
for the evening; Fan Selden said so. Her 
brother is coming home from the city, and 
going to bring three young men with him 
— splendid ones ! I saw a friend of his last 
summer that wore such citified clothes.” 

‘‘Bah!” said Alvira with vehement dis- 
gust. “ A little puppy, with his hair parted 
in the middle and a cane. He’d ha’ looked 


THE RECORD. 


177 


enough sight better in a roundabout, trottin^ 
off to school with a spellin’-book.” 

‘‘ You’re an old granny, Alvira ; you don’t 
know style when you see it,” quoth Janet 
calmly. 

Then I hope I never may ! — Neil, be you 
agoin’ to this party ?” 

‘‘Did you ever see me dance?” laughed 
Neil. 

“Yes, I have, many a time. I’ve seen 
you half wild with the colts and the calves 
out in the paster, a-dancin’ and a-singin’ to 
the music the birds was a-making. There 
now !” 

“ Well, then, I don’t think I need any in- 
door practice ; and I would rather have a 
country calf for a partner than a citified 
one,” said Neil, so quizzically that Janet 
joined in her laughter. 

“ Oh, girls, stop your cackling,” suddenly 
interposed Alvira very soberly. “I’ve got 
something to tell you about your brother 

whereupon she related the contents of the 
12 


178 


SILAS GO WEB’S BAUGHTEBS. 


letter received by tbeir father. Janet was 
surprised. Neil was relieved to hear where 
Tibbits was, but grieved in heart to know of 
his sickness. 

‘‘Oh dear! dear! Won’t father let me 
just go and see Tibbits once — only once — 
Alvira?” 

“If anybody goes, I ought to,” put in 
Janet hotly. 

Alvira said, “You can’t neither of you 
go; your father refuses to let you.” 

“ Might have known he would,” muttered 
Janet. 

Neil burst into tears, sobbing : “ Suppose 
that he dies all alone like a pauper ? What 
if he is neglected and suffers for food or 
proper care ? Who knows what such a 
hospital is like. Oh dear ! oh dear !” 

At this stage of affairs Mr. Gower opened 
the door and savagely inquired, “ Why isn’t 
supper ready ? I want to get down town 
early to-night on business.” 

Alvira went about setting the table, and 


THE RECORD. 


179 


Janet lay on tlie lounge planning her toilette 
for the party. If she could not do anything 
for Tibbits, of what use was it to think about 
him ? Neil whispered to Alvira, ‘‘We can 
pray for him, any way, and I can write to him 
in the morning. I will see the poor-master 
and find out who* wrote, him the letter.^’ 

Alvira nodded with an encouraging smile ; 
she also had an idea in her mind. After 
supper, when the table was cleared and Mr. 
Gower was putting on his old butternut- 
colored overcoat to go out, Alvira coolly 
approached him, saying, “ I’d like my back 
wages in the mornin’.” 

“What’s that?” 

“ It is goin’ on twenty-one weeks since I 
was paid up.” 

“ It can’t be nowhere nigh so long a time,” 
retorted Silas with instinctive caution. 

“Look at your books for the account.” 

“ Well, now, what on earth does a woman 
want of so much money? It is safer on 
deposit.” 


180 


SILAS GOWEB^S BAUGHTEBS. 


“ Humph ! Twenty weeks at twelve shil- 
lings a week is thirty dollars. I’ll take it 
now if you’ve got it, or early in the morning 
— very early.” 

“ A dollar and a half a week, Alviry ! and 
before you come I never gave anybody over 
one dollar.” 

“And since I’ve been here wages have gone 
up, so, if I was to leave, you’d have to give 
three dollars to get the amount of work 
done I do.” 

“ Never, Alviry — never ! If the girls 

could do it all now I’d make ’um.” 

“They might if they had four hands 
apiece, and each of ’um the strength of a 
horse.” 

“ Humph ! two horse-power, air ye ? 
Well, couldn’t you wait a while? Money is 
awfully tight just now.” 

“ No, I couldn’t,” said Alvira shortly. 
“ I am going to give you a chance to see how 
well you can do without me. I’ve got busi- 
ness to attend to, and I’m goin’ to leave here 


THE RECORD. 


181 


for a week at least. Neil is home, and can 
help about the work.’’ 

When Alvira undertook anything, she 
always carried it out, and Mr. Gower surren- 
dered to the inevitable. He mournfully 
drew out and gave her three bills from his 
old leather wallet, then went away without 
a suspicion of her true intentions. It was 
to Neil alone that she confided them a little 
later, saying, ‘‘Neil, I’m goin’ my ownself 
to-morrow mornin’ to see if that boy is bein’ 
properly cared for ; and if he ain’t a-havin’ 
what he ought, he’ll get it from the minit I 
set eyes on him. That is. I’ll go if you can 
get along with the work. I’ve just got my 
money from your father, and I had some be- 
fore — Oh, that ain’t nothin’ — never mind. 
We hain’t done our duty by Tibbits, any of 
us, so we must make up for it.” 

“ I’m so glad, so grateful, Alvira ! If I 
am ever able I will repay you every cent 
you spend for him. Tell Tibbits that I am 
so sorry for him, that I want to see him, and 


182 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


that we pray for him. Oh, give him good 
Christian advice, Alvira.’’ 

‘‘I’ll do my best.” 

“ I know you will. I am so glad that you 
are going ! Find out everything that has 
happened to him since he went away.” 

“ Yes, I will. But how will you and 
Janet get along here together, with all the 
work to do? You will have to give up 
what you may think are your rights for 
the sake of peace, if peace you try to 
keep.” 

“ I know that. I dread it a little, but I 
will ‘ watch and fight (myself) and pray.’ ” 

Alvira’s repeated nods were signs of 
approval, and, this subject disposed of, she 
began a little excitedly to make her plans 
and preparations for a journey which was 
certainly an event in her quiet life. By 
ten o’clock her carpet-bag was packed and 
her second-best dress brushed in readiness 
for traveling, that nothing but the neces- 
sary work need delay her in the morning. 


THE RECORD. 


183 


And now, in justice to Mr. Gower, we 
must ascertain if his heart was quite as 
hard and his intentions as inflexible as it 
would seem from his conduct. The real 
truth was, that he had been for several 
months past making inquiries and writing 
letters with a view to finding out Tibbits’s 
whereabouts. He did not care so much for 
liis return home as he did to know that he 
had not been driven to some desperate meas- 
ures or some evil manner of living ; for his 
own severity was all the time forcing itself 
before his conscience. When, in answer to 
one of his own letters of inquiry, he learned 
Tibbits’s present condition, he was really per- 
suaded that he was where, most probably, 
he was receiving proper care. He refused 
Alvira’s reasonable demands, but he intend- 
ed, nevertheless, to be assured that his son 
was well nursed and doctored. It was only 
that, with the perverted notions of dignity 
always held by little natures, he fancied 
that he must seem unrelenting to the end. 


184 


SILAS GOWEPAS LAVGIJTEBS. 


Moreover, it was decidedly desirable in liis 
eyes that Tibbits’s sickness be an inexpen- 
sive one, if that could be managed as well 
as not ; but if it could not be, why then he 
had no idea of letting the boy lack for any- 
thing necessary to his restoration to health. 
The very afternoon he talked so sternly 
he was planning how to best assure him- 
self of Tibbits’s welfare. 


CHAPTER IX. 


VACATION. 

rpHE next morning dawned bright and 
sunny. Alvira went quietly about the 
house until after breakfast, purposely avoid- 
ing any allusion to her trip before Janet, 
who, quicker-witted than her father, would 
instantly have pointed out to him its import. 
After Mr. Gower had gone to his occupations 
she changed her dress, brought forth her 
bag, and was immediately questioned by 
Janet as to her intentions. Alvira gave 
matters an adroit turn in order to reconcile 
the girl to the work about to fall upon her : 

I am goin’ to save the Gower family from 
scandal. If anybody, to-morrow night at 
your fine party, is whisperin^ around that 
the poor-master says your brother is dying 
like a pauper and your father wonT help 

185 


186 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


him, you can say he is in a hospital, with 
your own family nurse to take every care of 
him. There’s tongues enough to wag. I’ll 
warrant you.” 

Janet sneered, but was not actively bellig- 
erent, only remarked, ‘‘ I suppose Neil has 
agreed to do your work for you while you 
are gone?” 

“ Now look here, Janet : Neil will do her 
share, and you had better do yours — that is, 
if you expect me to do double duty every 
time you want a whole day for a picnic or 
some other junketin’.” 

Janet made no response, but as Alvira was 
about going out of the door she called after 
her : Tell Tibbits to take care of himself.” 

“ Humph ! humph ! Always a self about 
it somewhere,” muttered Alvira. Then 
w^arning Bob to be a good boy if he wanted 
her to bring him back anything, she hur- 
ried toward the railway-station. 

The entire day passed uneventfully. Ja- 
net went on with her work, which was apart 



Alvira Starting for Detroit, 


Page 186. 




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VACATION. 


187 


from Neil’s; for Alvira’s duties, tliougli ar- 
duous^ and often manifold, were planned in 
most judicious methods : one thing never 
conflicted with another. Neil was every 
moment busy, but was not at night greatly 
overtired. The next day happened to be 
the one easy ” day of the week, as Alvira 
always called it. The washing, ironing and 
baking were all out of the way; however, 
Neil found enough to keep her very active 
until nearly noon. As she laid in the 
pantry the last clean dish she resolved to 
rest a while, and in the afternoon take time 
to read a new book lent her by a schoolmate. 
She was going to her owm room when an 
exclamation of discontent caused her to stop 
at Janet’s door and to ask, What is the 
matter ?” 

Look at that !” said her sister in disgust. 

Janet, her hair in frightful curl-papers, 
sat before her bed, spread with every article 
of finery that she possessed : See how that 
rig I meant to wear to-night does look !” 


188 


SILAS GOWJEE’S BAUGHTJEBS. 


Yes, I see.” 

‘^It is just horrid !” # 

Neil agreed with her heartily. Janet 
always offended her quiet taste by glaring 
colors and queer combinations, but this time 
even Janet was at odds with her own design. 
‘‘What shall I do? what shall I do?” she 
repeated. 

Neil gravely studied the state of affairs; 
then, picking out the two most harmonious 
tints and the really best material of the 
tumbled-up dresses, she suggested a combi- 
nation of them with suitable trimming. Janet 
saw that the idea was far brighter than any 
of her own, but she said regretfully, “ It 
would come out just the thing if I had 
only thought of it yesterday, but the gray 
skirt has two or three hours’ sewing on it, 
and the blue one another hour. I cannot do 
it; I have half a dozen other little things 
to attend to.” 

She spoke without a thought of being 
helped. So unlovely, so unchristian, had 


VACATION. 


189 


been all tlie past relationship of these sisters 
that while one had frequently forced upon 
the other tasks that had to be discharged, 
neither of them had ever been the other’s 
willing helper. A conflict went on in Neil 
as she stood by that mussy, unattractive 
finery. She wanted to rest and to read ; she 
had already worked harder than Janet. She 
did not consider Janet’s friends or their 
pleasures of an elevating character; then 
why should she sacrifice her comfort that 
her sister might foolishly indulge herself? 
for, you see, it had come to her to say, “ I 
will help you.” On the other hand, while 
she was not responsible for Janet’s tastes, 
was she always to sit in judgment on them, 
showing no sympathy, never minding the 
injunction, “Be ye kind to one another”? 
She knew that nothing in the way of precept 
would ever appeal to Janet with such force 
as the fact that she, by spending three or 
four hours in work, helped to make her a 
dress. She would be surprised as only 


190 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


thoroughly selfish persons are surprised when 
another does for them what they would never 
do for any one else. Neil shook out the 
folds of the skirt, and tried to say very 
simply, “ The work is about all done ; there 
is only to get dinner. I will have the whole 
afternoon then, and I can sew while you at- 
tend to the other things. We can easily 
finish it by to-night.’’ 

Janet looked at her amazed: ‘‘Do you 
mean it?” 

“ Why, of course. I like to sew when I 
get at it.” 

“ Well, that is splendid ! I can’t endure 
to look so like a fright. Oh, I’ll be down- 
right delighted !” cried Janet exultantly. 

Neil felt half repaid, and went cheerfully 
for her work-box. When she came back 
Janet sewed with her, deferring graciously 
to her judgment and chatting as amiably as 
she knew how. The work, interrupted but 
a short time for dinner, was resumed soon 
after, Neil was very tired, and once or 


VACATION. 


191 


twice thought of her cozy room and the 
new, interesting book ; but she persevered, 
cheerfully stitching, stitching, on the mo- 
notonous ruffles, until about sunset the last 
thread was drawn, and the sisters agreed 
that the result of their labor was highly 
satisfactory. Janet was very grateful and 
loud in her thanks. She actually offered to 
do all the work about the supper and let 
Neil rest. Then, in course of time, she 
politely bade her good-night, regretted she 
was not going, and departed in high spirits 
for the much-talked-of party. Neil knew 
this suavity could not well last out the next 
twenty-four hours, but she felt that she was 
a step nearer Janet than before she had 
helped her, and so was happy. 

Mr. Gower was away that evening, and 
the old farmhouse was strangely quiet. Bob 
followed Neil about in a depressed fashion, 
and the old cat followed Bob. Neil, discover- 
ing at last the melancholy procession, asked 
what the matter was, and Bob wailed, Oh, 


192 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


my ’Viry Higgins tells old Kitty and me 
awful splendid Bible stories, and I'm lone- 
some. So’s Kitty ; we don't know what to do 
wif ourselves." 

Another thought of her book, so long 
neglected, another of little things in Chris- 
tian love and living, and Neil said cheeringly, 

‘‘Well, Bobbie, you and Kitty curl up 
together on the lounge, and I'll play I am 
Alvira." 

Bob obeyed joyfully, and Neil told him 
parts of the “ old, old story," as to a little 
child. She watched his eager face upturned 
to hers, and resolved that this young broth- 
er should never grow up as ignorant as her 
elder one had done. 

Kitty went to sleep forthwith, and in pro- 
cess of time the warmth and quiet so told 
upon little Bob that he guessed he'd go to 
bed and lie awake and think. He carried 
out the first part of the programme, and if 
he failed in the last, Neil never reproached 
him for it ; she was only too glad at last to 


VACATION. 


193 


rest in the sweet consciousness that she had 
tried that day to live aright. When the 
book was laid aside for her Bible, and that 
in turn for her evening prayer, there crept 
into her heart a new thought of her heavenly 
Father’s love. She gave herself trustingly 
into his care, and earnestly plead for the life 
and the spiritual welfare of her sick brother, 
as well as for a blessing upon Alvira and her 
mission. She did not forget in her prayer 
her father, Janet, little Bob, and, wdth a 
quick tear, Jessie Bromley. Prayer was not 
a form now to her ; it was a daily consecra- 
tion of herself to ‘‘ Him who died for us, that 
whether we wake or sleep we should live 
together with him.” 

It was Janet’s turn ” to get breakfast the 
next morning, but Neil, who awoke early, 
heard no sound in the adjoining chamber 
nor in the kitchen below, and thought it 
was extremely probable that the festivities 
of the past evening had taken away all rec- 
ollection of present duties from her sister. 

13 


194 


SILAS GOWLE^S DAUGHTERS. 


She was tempted to go and awaken her; 
then she reflected that she herself felt re- 
freshed and vigorous after her sound sleep, 
and perhaps it would be another apprecia- 
ted act of kindness were she to take Janet’s 
place for once. She sprang up, dressed 
herself quickly, and in due time was flying 
about the kitchen, the fire made, the table 
set and the griddle-cakes ready. 

Janet did not appear until her father had 
eaten his breakfast and gone ; then she came 
down stairs, looking jaded and cross. She 
had the grace to say that she was glad Neil 
had done her work, for she was ^‘‘awfully 
tired.” She sank into the rocking-chair and 
gave Neil an account of the party; which 
efibrt at conversation she evidently consid- 
ered an ample return for the labor spared 
her, because she did not offer to wash the 
dishes or lend a helping hand in any of 
the morning tasks. Once or twice Neil was 
tempted to rebel and do no more ; then she 
thought, Oh, it is only for a day or two. 


VACATION. 


195 


We shall quarrel unless I allow myself to 
be more or less imposed upon. I had best 
keep the peace at any cost.’’ So she carried 
on almost the entire work of the house, while 
Janet shirked and mourned that she never 
could have company nor entertain her friends 
as the Selden girls could. The long day 
wore by at last, but it took all Neil’s patience 
to endure the petty vexations ; for, owing to 
Alvira’s absence, their father was on the 
lookout to detect any omission or letting 
down in household duty. While doing her 
best she could not go beyond her strength 
or her ability, therefore Mr. Gower had some 
reason for complaints, and Neil must be si- 
lent under reproach or openly cast the blame 
upon Janet. She sent up more than one 
prayer for forbearance as she swept and cook- 
ed and churned ; and when night came she 
was more exhausted physically and spirit- 
ually than ever before in her life. 

Janet secretly wondered at her patience, 
and felt a little mean in so taxing it; but 


196 


SILAS GOWER^S DAUGHTERS. 


she excused herself on the ,plea that she also 
was tired, and if any one was' willing to do 
her work, why not let it be done ? In the 
evening she felt much brighter, and while 
she, sat at ease in Alvira’s old chair a new 
and startling exploit was suddenly suggest- 
ed to her. By whom ? Well, the old verse 
has it that 


“ Satan finds some mischief still 
For idle hands to do.” 

The first idea of it came when she over- 
heard her father say to Neil, want the 
eggs and the butter taken to market to- 
morrow; you or Janet must attend to it if 
Alvira has gone. I am going over to New- 
ton Centre to-morrow morning, and I shall 
not get back until the next morning. IVe 
got to see to a lot of business I’ve been put- 
ting off over there. See that you behave 
yourselves while I am gone.” 

Neil, who was on her way to bed, thought 
within herself that if she had so hard a day 


VACATION. 


197 


on the morrow as that one had proved, she 
would not be likely to have an overplus of 
vivacity to crop out in any great amount 
of misconduct. Half an hour later, as Janet 
passed her chamber-door, she called out, ‘‘ I 
will get breakfast ; you need not get up until 
it is ready.” 

‘‘That is good,” thought Neil, already 
half asleep ; and, sure enough, Janet did not 
call her in the morning until her father had 
eaten and gone. She had kept her breakfast 
warm, and altogether was so agreeable that 
Neil thought her about as odd a specimen of 
inconsistency as ever existed. It was better 
that she thought this than that she under- 
stood the truth — namely, that Janet when most 
unselfish in conduct had usually a plot be- 
low the complacency. Neil ate her breakfast 
cheerfully, noting with pleasure the bright 
gleam in Janet’s eyes as she tripped about, 
singing and joking with Bob. All at once 
she stopped before Neil, made her a sweep- 
ing curtsey and remarked, “Miss Janet Gow- 


198 


SILAS GOWLB’S DAUGHTERS. 


er requests the pleasure of your society this 
evening at seven o’clock, at a very select 
party at her own home — a surprise-party, 
in fact, gotten up by herself.” 

What do you mean ?” asked Neil blankly. 

‘‘ I mean,” cried Janet with a loud laugh, 
that I’m going to snatch at the first chance 
we ever have had or are likely to get, and 
am going to give a party. Yes, you may 
well look astonished. You never would 
have thought of it. Here is father off for 
all night. I have made out a list of those 
to be invited, and shall send Bob off with it 
to Kate Selden. She will get us up a party 
and explain (as it is on such short notice) 
that it is a sort of surprise. I have planned 
it all out beautifully. Here we are, with 
plenty of butter, eggs, milk, everything from 
the farm to cook with ; and if any one in 
the place can make better cake than I can, 
or you either, I’d like to see it done. We 
have the whole day before us — father out 
of the way, no other urgent work to keep us 


VACATION. 


199 


from going right at preparations. Kate Sel- 
den will run around with invitations, I know. 
I put down plenty of your school-friends. 
And about noon,” continued Janet, gasping 
a second for breath, “I shall go with the 
butter and eggs to Smith’s grocery. Now, 
as good luck would have it, we have made 
nearly half again as much butter as father 
has known of lately ; and the eggs are 
plentier too. I shall take up all that ex- 
ceeds last month’s amount in little things we 
have not got in the house — nice white sugar 
for icing cake and some candy and almonds. 
In this way I can have just as nice a supper 
for them as the Seldens had ; and nicer, for 
their cake was heavy. We will light and 
warm the whole house, and for once have 
the same sort of fun other girls have more 
than once in their lives.” 

Think of father,” was all Neil’s reply. 

Haven't I thought of father ? His going 
away was just what put it into my head. Do 
you suppose I would ever undertake such a 


200 


SILAS GOWER’S LAUGHTERS. 


thing with him here ? Now, he won’t be at 
all likely to hear of it afterward ; and if he 
does, we must say it was a surprise-^^irij, and 
we couldn’t help ourselves — that we could 
not turn our friends out of doors. He never 
will hear or know just what we had to eaV^ 
Now, it may seem that this scheme was so 
palpably wrong that there should have been 
in it no temptation to Neil, but truth compels 
the admission that she was tempted by it. 
Ever since their memory served them every 
enjoyable thing in these girls’ lives had 
been obtained (if obtained by them) either 
in spite of their father or through some sub- 
terfuge more or less deceitful. He combated 
all their desires for amusement or innocent in- 
dulgences of any sort; and in this long warfare 
they had come to think that otherwise ques- 
tionable means were right for them under the 
circumstances. Janet especially declared that 
she saved ” far more than she ever took 
and often in the past Neil had yielded to 
her partial reasoning. She thought now that 


VACATION, 


201 


it would indeed be pleasant to see the old 
house warmed, lighted and all over cheerful 
— to see for once the table bountifully spread 
with the delicacies that they well knew how 
to make. Neil had many pleasant school-ac- 
quaintances now, who had begun to notice 
her, to invite her to their homes ; and when 
again would she have a chance to entertain 
them ? 

But alas for Janet’s persuasion ! She 
had overshot the mark by her too plain 
statements. If she had said, “ Neil, we will 
have a party, using what we have in the 
house for carrying out our plans, and when 
father finds out what we have done we will 
take the consequences,” it may be she would 
have overcome Neil’s scruples; but this 
‘‘ butter and egg ” business, this keeping back 
part of the price, was not to be glossed over, 
nor the proposed deceit of the ‘‘surprise- 
party.” To Janet’s amazement and indigna- 
tion, Neil answered, after a silence which 
Janet had taken for a delighted consent, 


202 


SILAS QOWEB^S DAUGHTERS. 


‘‘ Oh no, we must not undertake such a 
thing.” 

Why not ?” 

It would not be right ; it would be cheat- 
ing and deception. We could not carry it 
out successfully if we wanted to.” 

“It is the easiest thing. We can.” 

“ But, Janet, it would not be right.” 

“ Nonsense ! What is the harm in it ? 
We never have any fun ; where are there 
two girls so stingily dealt with, when their 
father is perfectly able to give them all 
they want?” 

“ I know, but he is our father, and he is 
not a bad man : it is his economical disposi- 
tion ; and the Bible says, ‘ Honor thy father ’ 
— says a great deal about children’s duty — 
and my conscience troubles me when I think 
of his faults. Now, this party, from begin- 
ning to end, must be deception, and I could 
not enjoy it one bit.” 

“Dear me! How long since we felt so 
tender in our conscience?” 


VACATION. 


203 


Neil found strength to say what she had 
not so plainly ever said before, “ Since I be- 
came a Christian.’’ 

‘‘ Became a Christian ! Is it possible ? 
Good gracious ! Let me look at it care- 
fully and Janet, with an air of intense 
curiosity, made a complete circuit about Neil, 
then laughed mockingly and said coaxingly, 
.“Now, Neil Gower, don’t be a fool! Be a 
Christian as much as you like, but don’t 
refuse to swallow a sugar-plum when it is 
put into your mouth. I will take the sin of 
this on my conscience and stand the blame 
if father hears of it ; but certainly you can 
help make the cake and arrange the rooms 
and entertain the company.” 

Neil, failing to see the delicate line that 
in this case divided the “ partaker ” from the 
“thief,” firmly refused: “No, I cannot do 
it.” 

Janet turned about and shut herself into 
the pantry with a slam that re-echoed 
through the house. Neil gathered up the 


204 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


breakfast-dishes and washed them. After a 
while Janet came out, and calling Bob sent 
him with a note to the Selden girls ; then she 
drew the kitchen-table into the middle of 
the room and brought forth butter, sugar, 
eggs, etc. in such quantities that Neil knew 
the party must be going on whether she 
gave her aid or not. It is probable that 
Janet calculated to press Neil into the ser- 
vice in due time. But Neil went steadily on 
with the ordinary work of the house, finding 
plenty to keep her busy, while Janet baked 
cake with an energy unsurpassed. As the 
day went by Neil could not but see that 
success seemed to crown her sister’s efforts. 
At five o’clock in the afternoon the pantry- 
shelves were loaded with shapely loaves of 
light delicious cake, with delicate biscuit, 
with platters of cold ham, etc. A little 
later the rooms were warmed, dusted and 
ready for the evening, while Janet herself, 
looking, it must be confessed, heated, excited 
and very tired, was dressing herself and 


VACATION. 


205 


trying to make Bob presentable. She had 
not spoken to Neil since morning ; and Neil, 
knowing words on her part were useless, 
had simply done with her might what her 
hands found to do, and was nearly as tired 
as Janet. 

As the hour approached for the guests to 
arrive, Neil wondered much who those guests 
would be. If Janet had taken off the list all 
save her own friends, she would not be em- 
barrassed by inquiries after Neil, for she 
knew, of course, that Neil, after refusing 
to countenance the means taken, would not 
come in to enjoy the end thereby obtained. 
But if Janet, who wished to become better 
acquainted with many of Neihs schoolmates, 
had persisted in asking their attendance, she 
would find it very perplexing to account 
for Neihs absence. These girls knew and 
liked her, and if they came would, as Janet 
had to admit in her own consciousness, come 
solely on Neihs account. However, this 
thing regulated itself. NeiFs schoolmates 


206 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


were generally of higher tone in character 
and culture than were the Seldens, and re- 
ceiving from Kate Selden, with a blind ref- 
erence to Janet, an invitation to visit a fam- 
ily known to be somewhat peculiar, each girl 
surmised it was no affair of NeiFs, and ex- 
cused herself from acceptance. There was 
no pride or exclusiveness in. this, but an in- 
stinct of good-breeding which Janet herself 
afterward understood when not long after 
all called upon Neil to show their friendli- 
ness. At the time it was a relief for Neil to 
hear, as the guests arrived, only the boister- 
ous laughter and loud voices of the Seldens 
and their associates. 

She sat alone without a light in her own 
room, regretting more and more intensely 
that Janet had ever thought of this party. 
She knew that it would separate them far- 
ther and farther if such differences of action 
were often to occur. Janet was now angry, 
was thinking her stiff and disobliging, while 
she herself despaired of getting upon any 


VACATION. 


207 


common ground of sympathy. Then how 
could Janet seem so hard-hearted? In the 
midst of this fun and frolic could she ut- 
terly forget her brother ? Tibbits might be 
dying this very night, for aught they knew 
to the contrary. Neil did not want to judge 
her sister — to fail toward her in charity, or 
even in thought to say, I am better than 
thou ” — but she could not but be oppressed 
by these things. 

In the mean time, all went merrily below. 
There was the gayest chatter, and every now 
and then a song, while from the kitchen came 
the fragrant odor of hot coffee. Little Bob 
was hilarious beyond words to express. He 
rushed up stairs and down — now under the 
heels of the guests, now imparting some won- 
derful news to Neil, whose absence from the 
unprecedented scenes below he regarded as 
the wildest folly, although from his sisters’ 
talk of the morning he understood their dif- 
ferences of opinion far better than they sup- 
posed. 


208 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


« Why don’t you come down, Neil ? It 
is just splendid ! Janet and the Selden 
girls and I are going to pass around the 
things to eat by and by.” Then off Bob 
would scud, and so by his means, the loud 
talking and the open doors Neil knew all 
that went on below. 

About nine o’clock everything was at its 
merriest in the front rooms, and only Bob 
left in the kitchen to watch that the coffee 
did not boil over in the interval before sup- 
per. Suddenly the old gate creaked on its 
hinges, a heavy step came up the walk, and 
then on the flat stone before the kitchen- 
door Neil heard the familiar scrape of her 
father’s boots. Her heart beat fast, and she 
trembled with foreboding. What would he 
do at the sight of that table, that ‘‘ awful ex- 
travagance,” at the whole daring performance 
going on in that solemn old house ? Janet 
herself could not have been more alarmed, 
and yet Neil heard her carelessly laughing 
the very moment he lifted the latch, a heavy 


VACATION. 


209 


rattling one. A silence after he came in, 
then Neil could hear Bob, as if answering 
a question, say, ‘‘It is Janet’s party.” She 
could not catch her father’s after questions, 
but each time Bob’s replies. He told every- 
thing there was to tell, even to the fact that 
“ Neil wouldn’t help one bit, and she’s up 
stairs now ’cos ‘she’s too pious to have a 
little fun,’ Janet says.” 

Neil was so frightened she scarcely felt 
any relief that Bob was clearing her from 
all guilt ; she only thought, “ What will fa- 
ther do?” 

What Mr. Gower did was characteristic. 
He walked about the table and viewed from 
all sides the results of Janet’s dainty cookery. 
He turned over her frosted cake with his 
thin fingers, and observed there was white 
loaf-sugar in the best sugar-bowl. Then he 
opened the pantry-door and noiselessly (for 
he could be very quiet in his movements) 
deposited cake, ham, biscuit and confec- 
tionery on the broad shelves, locked the 

14 


210 


SILAS G OWLETS EAUGHTEES. 


door, took out the key, and then, with his 
back to the fire, stood facing the sitting-room 
door and the table so suddenly despoiled of its 
chief ornaments. Imagine, if you can, the 
expression of Janet when a moment after she 
walked in and discovered the loss of her eat- 
ables and the presence of her father ! She 
waited for an explosion that did not come. 
The Selden girls were behind her ; they 
stared over her shoulder with a half excla- 
mation, cut short as they vanished backward. 

“ If you didn’t know, for certain, I was a- 
cominV’ said Mr. Gower, “ you needn’t have 
made such a fuss over my supper. I’ve had 
it already, so I have put the things away till 
to-morrow ; they’ll keep.” Then he turned 
around and sat down, putting his feet in the 
oven to get warm. 

Janet turned also, and rushed up stairs to 
Neil, regardless of everything but her dis- 
tress in this extremity. Neil forestalled her 
story with the exclamation, ‘‘ What shall we 
do?” 


VACATION. 


211 


‘‘ Oh, Neil, do go and plead with him ! 
Put all the blame on me. I’ll stand anything 
afterward if you will only get that supper 
out of the pantry. Think of this being told 
about among the girls, and everywhere else 
then ! There they are in there, waiting for 
it, all seated quietly around the room. Oh, 
do go down ! do reason with him !” 

With a faint hope that she might prevail, 
because Bob had innocently exculpated her, 
Neil descended trembling. She went up to 
Mr. Gower and began her plea : “ Now, fa- 
ther, just this once let Janet finish what she 
has undertaken. Suppose you do mortify her 
so dreadfully before all her friends, is it — 
is it — policy — the only word that came to 
Neil, and really the best one to use with 
Mr. Gower. Don’t you know it will be told 
all through the Corners ?” 

“Yes, I hope it will — serve her right.” 

“But such things injure us all in reputa- 
tion. You keep telling me to get all the 
influential friends I can if I am to be a 


212 


SILAS GOWEB^S DAUGHTEBS. 


teacher. How can I if we are so queer 
among ourselves? I am just getting ac- 
quainted with the best families in the vil- 
lage, but everything is known in the town 
about everybody.” 

Neil was nervously talking, urging the 
first arguments that occurred to her, but Mr. 
Gower’s face looked a shade less dogged. He 
secretly wondered if Miss Bromley were in 
the other room, for he had not known of the 
friends’ estrangement. 

I’d admire to know how much the sup- 
.per cost?” 

‘^Oh, it looked very lavish, father, but, 
you know, Janet is economical, and such a 
fine cook that everything looks beautifully 
that she makes ; and you would be surprised 
yourself to see what a show she can make 
upon small materials.” 

Now, this was strictly true, and not an 
unpleasant thought to Mr. Gower, who liked 
this peculiarity of Janet. Moreover, at this 
point she herself broke in with hysterical 


VACATION. 


213 


pleadings and promises of future good con- 
duct, not unaccompanied with a threat or 
two of no longer trying to pinch and save 
if she were never to have any benefit from 
her parsimony. It was a trying time, for 
Mr. Gower never moved a muscle. 

Do, father, let us go on ! Give us the 
key just this once! There they are in 
there, all waiting.’’ 

Ah ! let ’um wait. If they get tired they 
know the way home.” 

A sort of sullen humor sometimes came 
out in Mr. Gower, and when one would have 
expected him to be passionate he was only 
hatefully tantalizing. An idea flashed through 
Neil’s bewilderment, and she asked boldly, 
‘‘ Have you any objections to our giving 
them the supper now?” 

None whatever,” grunted Mr. Gower. 

Only excuse me till I look into things at 
the barn ; then I’ll come in and stay with ’um.” 
So, coolly getting a lantern, he departed with 
the key in his pocket. 


214 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


Janet was aghast, but Neil Avas hastily 
turning over the contents of a work-basket 
in the window-ledge. In a minute she 
brought forth from it a large steel crochet- 
needle, and said, with a gleam of hope in 
her face, “ If you can get Bob through the 
pantry-window from the outside of the 
house, he can pick the lock with that. He 
did it once when Alvira locked him in for 
punishment. We tried it then from this 
side the door, but could not do it.’^ 

At this juncture the Selden girls arrived, 
having by peeps from the hall found out 
Mr. Gower had gone ; they understood read- 
ily from Janet the state of affairs. Without 
loss of time, however, Janet with Bob crept 
out and around under the eaves. She raised 
the window, a little one, and with great diffi- 
culty thrust Bob and all his straggling limbs 
through ; then gave him a candle to light, 
and told him what to do. He kept them in 
dreadful suspense, seeming unable to do in 
earnest what he had easily done for mischief, 


VACATION, 


215 


besides upsetting a pitcher of cream ; but at 
last he applied the needle rightly and the 
lock yielded — the door was open ! Every 
waitress sprang promptly to the rescue as 
Janet called through from her outdoor sta- 
tion, Seize everything you can carry, and 
start and send half a dozen girls after more/’ 
Excited and trembling as Neil was, she 
had to laugh to see biscuit, meat and cake 
go off as in a whirlwind, while Janet rushed 
in to pour coffee as if a relentless enemy were 
advancing in the rear and every instant told 
upon victory. When Mr. Gower returned 
he said not a word, but sat down to watch 
every movement with an ominous earnest- 
ness anything but exhilarating. Whether 
the company were well waited upon neither 
Janet nor Neil ever knew. Certainly, the 
guests must have thought some proceedings 
very irregular and strange, but at least they 
saw that there was a supper; and the girls 
thought this fact something to be grateful 
for, considering the circumstances. 


216 


SILAS GOWERS S DAUGHTERS. 


When the dishes were brought out it was 
evident from the sounds that followed them 
that the company was getting very social 
again. Suddenly, Mr. Gower rose up and 
stalked in among the young folks without 
a single salutation, having by one glance 
made a survey of the whole company. He 
walked up to the clock, wound it, made it 
strike and strike and strike until he fixed 
the hour-hand at ten ; then, turning off the 
light from two of the lamps, he sat down 
before the fireplace and made an elaborate 
task of raking all the ashes over the fire- 
brands, quite covering them. 

Significant glances, comical shrugs, indig- 
nant sneers were all about, but he was as 
sublimely indifferent to them as to the grad- 
ual thinning out that began in the ranks. 

Janet, humiliated beyond self-control, rush- 
ed off to her room and fiung herself on her 
bed in the dark. Neil did what she would 
not have thought she could — walked into 
the midst of the company and rallied them 


VACATION. 


217 


to playing a new game she had lately heard 
described — a game of questions requiring at- 
tention and quick wits. Nearly all the guests 
remained a while after this proposal, some 
from a kindly desire to cover up the too ap- 
parent unpleasantness, some out of curiosity 
to see what would come next. The lights 
were dim and the room getting cold, hut 
Neil carried out her game with a pluck ” 
they all admired, and when they bade her 
good-night she retained her dignity and self- 
possession to the last. Janet, completely wilt- 
^ed, stood behind her in the shadow to hide 
her swollen eyes, and for once was unre- 
servedly grateful for Neil’s assistance. 

As the last couple departed Silas Gower 
called out loudly, ‘‘Janet, come in here.” 

Janet went, and Neil followed, not as a 
witness of further punishment, but to be, if 
possible, a peacemaker. The conversation 
that followed was long, and between Janet 
and her father a most unprofitable one. Neil 
could only silently pray that both she and 


218 


SILAS GOWER'S DAUGHTERS. 


Janet might have patience and gentleness 
wrought in them by God’s grace, and that the 
day would come when her father’s reproof 
would not provoke his children to wrath. 
When the trying interview ended Bob was 
discovered under the sofa sound asleep, and 
sent to bed ; the remains of the supper were 
hastily cleared away, that no unnecessarily 
suggestive things should meet their father’s 
eye on the morrow ; then the doors were lock- 
ed and lights put out for the night. 

As Janet followed Neil wearily up stairs 
to her chamber, she declared without hesi- 
tation, 

“ I would give a good deal if I had followed 
your advice and not undertaken that party. 
I’ve found out Alvira tells the truth when 
she says the ‘ way of the transgressor is 
hard.’ ” 

Yes,” said Neil, I know by experience 
that it is ; but although I am almost too tired 
to move, I feel relieved, after all, that father 
found it out. Now there is no covering up 


VACATION. 


219 


or deception, as there must have been if 
everything had gone off smoothly.’’ 

Relieved echoed Janet in surprise. 
“Why, I feel mortified beyond words!” 

The sisters sat for a moment in silence, 
while each tried to understand the other. 
Neil was not very happy, hut quite at peace, 
for her conscience in no way condemned her. 
Janet was fully convinced that the “trans- 
gressor’s w^ay ” had, as has been said, proved 
“ hard ” for her, but, while she repented, it 
was with no “ godly sorrow,” but only with 
“ the sorrow of the world.” It was not that 
she had sinned, but only that when her sin 
found her out she had been forced to endure 
its immediate punishment. 

“ Before to-morrow night the whole story 
will be known all over the Corners ; and 
how folks will laugh at us !” 

“ AVell, we won’t hear them ; that is one 
consolation,” returned Neil, more philosojohi- 
cally than she felt, for who is quite indif- 
ferent to ridicule ? 


220 


SILAS GOWEH’S daughters. 


'^Oh, they began it before they left the 
bouse. I beard snickering and giggling 
when the girls were putting tbeir things on 
to go borne. Sylvia Wright whispered some- 
thing to Jane Nelson about asking people to 
a bouse to insult them. You can depend, the 
story will grow double before it dies out ; and 
the truth was bad enough.’’ 

The disagreeable reflection came to Neil 
that some one would be sure to tell Jessie 
Bromley of it, and Jessie would believe Neil 
bad intended to deceive her father ; but she 
put the thought out of her mind, saying 
bravely, ‘‘ No matter what is said about us ; 
we can’t help it, but we can turn over a new 
leaf, and not try any more tricks to get the 
enjoyment that is not allowed us.” 

Janet was honest enough to think Neil 
kind in saying we for while in this case 
Janet had planned and executed the trick 
alone, Neil was now to suffer the conse- 
quences. She was impelled to say, If it 
had not been for you, I should not have 


VACATION. 


221 


known wliat to do. I was at my wits’ end, 
and everybody would have had to know 
it then and there. I was thankful you went 
in after supper and proposed that game; it 
was not quite so bad as if they had left im- 
mediately.” 

“ Well, it is over now ; let us go to bed,” 
sighed Neil, and Janet was weary enough to 
consent. 

Thus ended the party which was not a 
success. We are hardly right either in say- 
ing it ended, for Mr. Gower was never tired 
of alluding to it in Janet’s hearing. 

There was from that night a marked 
change in Mr. Gower’s relations to Neil : he 
treated her with a degree of confidence and 
respect that she could not explain, unless on 
the supposition that it was to make more 
emphatic his disapproval of Janet’s attempt- 
ed deception. He consulted her about sev- 
eral domestic arrangements, and sharply re- 
proved Bob for a slight disobedience to her 
commands. Neil began to realize that a steady 


222 


SILAS G OWLETS LAUGHTERS. 


course of uprightness and patient kindness 
might in due time bring the unlooked-for 
reward of Janet’s affection and her father’s 
approval. 


CHAPTEE X. 


JANET^S SURPRISE.” 

A LVIRA had been gone a week, and 
nothing had been heard from her; but 
Neil drew some comfort from this fact, rea- 
soning that had she found Tibbits in great 
danger or want she would probably have 
let it be known. It must be that he only 
needed a friend, and had found one in Al- 
vira. 

As for matters at the farmhouse, they 
went on about the same, and yet not quite the 
same. Janet had made several (for her) quite 
remarkable efforts to be just toward Neil, and 
had, since she recovered a little from the 
mortification of her party, shirked less of 
the housework, talked more amiably, and 
recognized, without seeming so to do, her 
sister’s efforts to be patient and unselfish. 

223 


224 SILAS GOWEE^S LAUGHTERS. 

She stayed at home much more quietly than 
usual, not even running, as of late, to see the 
Selden girls. The secret of this was that 
every time she had done so since the party 
she had been chagrined by some allusion to 
it or the repeating of unfriendly gossip ; and 
the whole thing vexed her still. She saw 
the Seldens to be boisterous and rude, and 
could not fail to contrast them with Neihs 
friends of the church and Sunday-school. 

Whatever Janet Gower undertook she did 
thoroughly, and before she was herself aware 
she was reflecting upon her own peculiarities 
and those of her friends. She did not go 
deep enough to search into her actual charac- 
ter, but as her external characteristics were 
the natural outgrowth of her mental and 
spiritual condition, in time she might be led 
to go below the surface. It was a great thing 
for Janet to be in the least dissatisfied with 
herself ; still, now that she was brought into 
close contact with her Christian sister, she 
really did begin to lose a little of her self- 


JANETS ‘^SURPRISE. 


225 


complacency. If Neil had begun by calling 
Janet’s attention to her faults and failings, 
the result would have been most unhappy ; 
but Neil, instead of saying in manifold 
ways, ‘‘How selfish Janet is!” was all the 
time unconsciously suggesting to Janet the 
thought, “How unselfish Neil is trying to 
be !” So it came to pass that even before 
Alvira returned Janet grew to feel quite 
kindly toward her sister, and Neil was un- 
expectedly repaid for her self-sacrifice. One 
Saturday morning the two girls were very 
hard at work when the Seldens drove up to 
the gate and wanted Janet to go with them 
for a ride. It was one of those warm sunny 
days that usher in an early spring — a day 
delightful to busy workers who have been 
all winter shut in the house. 

“ Oh, look ! Bell Selden has got her 
father’s horse and the old rockaway I” cried 
Janet. “ Oh dear ! if I could only go ! This 
horrid baking and all the milk to attend 
to! Was ever anything so provoking?” 

15 


226 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


Go if you want to,” said Neil, after an 
effort to speak cordially. “ I tkink I can get 
the whole work done alone.” 

Janet looked about the kitchen, and ought 
to have been ashamed to take the liberty 
offered her by’ Neil. But she took it, and 
said, as a minute after she rushed out to 
the girls, ^‘Good-bye! Idl do something for 
you, Neil, some day.” 

The drive was prolonged into a visit, and 
Janet did not return until after three o’clock ; 
then the heavy work of the day was all done. 
Neil had gone up to her room, and sat down 
in her little rocking-chair to rest in body 
and mind. The little book Jessie had given 
her lay open on the window-ledge, and her 
eyes fell upon these words : “ My peace is 
with the humble and gentle of heart; in 
much patience shall thy peace be. But never 
to feel any disturbance at all, nor to suffer 
any trouble of mind or body, belongs not to 
this life, but to the state of eternal rest. . . . 
Spiritual progress consists in giving thyself 


JANETS “surprise: 


227 


up with all thy heart to the divine will, not 
seeking thine own interest.’^ 

‘‘In much patience must my peace indeed 
he,” thought Neil. “ Yes, patience is what 
I need. I must pray God for help in attain- 
ing it, for in my own strength I can neither 
‘ withstand ’ nor ‘ stand.’ If I had realized 
how hard these days were to be, I should 
have understood why Alvira hesitated at the 
last to leave me and Neil leaned wearily 
back in her chair and shut her eyes. 

It was at that very moment that, unseen 
by her, Janet passed her chamber-door and 
looked in. She was startled for a second, 
her sister’s face upturned to the light was so 
colorless, and her attitude showed that she 
was completely tired out. Janet could not 
but recall in a flash the hours she had spent 
riding over the hills in the sweet spring air, 
chatting at her ease, while here at home 
Neil went steadily on with the monotonous 
baking and dishwashing. For once, her con- 
science accused her of selfishness so loudly 


228 


SILAS GOWEB’S DAUGHTEBS. 


that she heard it. She went on to her room, 
thinking, I wish I could do something for 
Neil. I suppose I ought to; I have not 
done much for her lately.’^ 

Scarcely had the thought gone through 
her mind when another took its place? — 
Have you not done something against 
her — the note of Jessie Bromley’s?^’ 

Janet was not so hardened that this 
thought had never troubled her before. 
Once, when she had seen the tears rush 
into Neihs eyes as Jessie passed the house, 
Janet had gone and searched for the note, 
intending to leave it where Neil would find 
it and make inquiry, to be explained by 
some charge against Bob of carelessness. She 
could not find the paper among Bob’s things, 
and so dismissed all thoughts of it. This 
afternoon she asked herself, “What good 
did it ever do me to break off that friend- 
ship? I am no better for it, and Neil is 
lonely and disappointed ; Jessie thinks wrong- 
ly of her. Neil may not like my friends any 


JANETS surprise: 


229 


more than I liked Jessie, but she helped me 
out of my trouble with the party and told 
me to go with the girls to-day. I suppose 
it was a sort of a mean trick in me. But I 
am not going to confess any tricks.’’ Ah, 
Janet! sorry again for the effects of your 
sin, but caring nothing that the motives of 
your heart are deceitful ! 

As she stood parleying with her conscience 
she heard her father calling her loudly from 
the kitchen. Upon going down she found 
that he wished her to go to the post-office 
for him. It was the work of a moment to 
get her shawl and bonnet and set forth again 
in the lovely afternoon sunshine. Neil, as 
she walked, would have noted with pleasure 
the tufts of new green grass along the road- 
side, the fat robin redbreasts and the swell- 
ing buds upon the maple trees. Janet thought 
of none of these things, but sauntered along, 
gossiping with any acquaintance she met on 
the way. As she was returning from the 
post-office, and was beyond the business part 


230 


SILAS GOWER'S DAUGHTERS. 


of the town, she saw walking before her a 
slim, graceful figure whose dress and gait 
suggested Jessie Bromley ; and Jessie it 
certainly was, as Janet knew upon a nearer 
yiew. Her first impulse was to fall behind and 
let her go on and out of sight ; her next to 
overtake her. Janet had a pride of her own, 
and she did not care, for several reasons, to 
encounter Miss Bromley and try to be agree- 
able to one who always seemed by instinct to 
draw back from her. But the recollection 
of Neil’s pale, tired face actually made her 
put self out of the account. She overtook 
Jessie, and said cordially, 

Good-afternoon !” 

Good-afternoon !” returned Jessie, a little 
nervously. 

‘Msn’t it lovely weather? such an early 
spring!” said Janet, trying to talk uncon- 
cernedly. ‘‘I’ve just been in to the post- 
office; father wanted one of us to go in 
haste, and Neil felt so miserable I did not 
ask her.’^ 


JANETS ‘‘SUBPBISE: 


231 


‘‘Isn’t she well?” 

“ She does not look well ; there is no color 
in her face. I think she has worked and 
studied too hard this winter. She is rather 
melancholy, besides, for some reason.” 

Janet, who was watching Jessie furtively, 
was glad to see her face grow very grave, but 
only said in a careless way, “ You have been 
out of town the most of the winter. Miss 
Bromley ?” 

“ I out of town ? Oh no, I have not.” 

“ Is that so ? Why, last fall, when Neil 
was sick a few days, I heard you had gone 
to stay with some sick relative; then some 
one said you had a friend visiting you ; all 
together, we did not know where you 
were.” 

“ I did go to see my sick aunt, and brought 
my cousin home to stay a few days; Neil 
knew about thaL^^ 

“Did she? Why, no — how could she?. 
I asked her not long ago who that young 
lady was, and she said she had never known. 


232 


SILAS GOWJEB’S DAUGHTEBS. 


Now I think of it, I did hear of your going 
to be at your aunt’s that time, but I forgot 
to tell Neil of it. She used to wonder why 
you did not come and see her those Satur- 
days. — But excuse me. Miss Bromley, I had 
no idea of cross-questioning you and Ja- 
net made an excellent feint of dignified re- 
serve. 

Jessie was looking straight before her with 
wide-open, puzzled eyes : 

“ Why, I wrote Neil a note and told her 
all about that.” 
note?” 

“Yes, two notes, in fact.” 

“ Neil never received two notes from 
you on that subject, I am perfectly sure,” 
returned Janet boldly. “If she had, she 
could not have been so 'at loss to account for 
— for some things. May I ask who brought 
the notes?” 

“ I left the first one on NeiFs desk at school 
one Friday noon before I went to the city.” 

“ Well, she could not have found that one, 


JANETS surprise: 


233 


for she did not know you had gone away, 
and so expected to see you every day for 
two weeks.” 

Jessie’s face began to be full of trouble. 

“ But then I sent one by the housekeeper 
the very day I got home, in the afternoon ; 
she said she gave it to Bob to take in the 
house, for she was in a hurry.” 

Janet preserved for some time a hy- 
pocritical silence, apparently of profound 
thought ; then she suddenly broke out : 
“ One afternoon Bob did come rushing in 
to me with a bit of paper that he said Mrs. 
Wilcox gave him while he was in the road 
at play. It was a crumpled half sheet of 
note-paper, perfectly blank. I questioned him 
and finally thought she had played a little 
trick on him.” 

Jessie looked, if it were possible, more 
grave, more perplexed, than before. She 
said, 

‘^What does it mean? Could I have 
mistaken and sent the wrong paper? Could 


234 


SILAS GOWJEB’S DAUGHTERS. 


Bob have changed mine for some other 
paper 

‘‘ Oh, as to that, Bob is perfectly capable 
of any sort of a blunder. He may have 
baked your note, into his mud-pie and 
brought me anything that happened to be 
in his pocket.” 

Jessie walked on, looking as if some new 
thought had overwhelmed her; suddenly 
she asked with the greatest anxiety, “ Is Neil 
home ?” 

“ Yes ; I left her all alone in her own room. 
Now please excuse me. Miss Bromley ; I must 
stop here at Alvira’s brother’s ; I have an 
errand with him.” So saying, Janet opened 
the gate to a little house and went up the 
gravel- walk. She laughed to herself as she 
saw Jessie quicken her steps almost to a run 
and turn toward the old farmhouse. 

In the mean time, Neil had remained 
where Janet left her, and when by and by 
she heard light footsteps coming through the 
house and up the old staircase, she did not 


JANETS “SUBPBISEJ 


235 


even open her eyes, sure that it was only her 
sister. But never had Janet darted in to kiss 
her, to put two arms about her neck and cry 
like a big baby — only a baby with Jessie 
Bromley’s beautiful hair and great penitent 
eyes. For a second or two Neil believed she 
had been napping and dreamed it all, but 
when she actually felt Jessie’s hands clasp- 
ing hers and heard her pleading, explaining, 
pouring out a confused story of notes ” and 
“Bob” and “won’t you forgive me?” and 
“ you remember you w^ould not look at me 
in church,” why it came to her that out of 
the chaos in her small world of friendship 
was coming light. How those two girls talk- 
ed ! There was color enough coming into 
Neil’s cheeks. It was well that Janet did 
not hear them accusing themselves and ex- 
cusing each other; she would undoubtedly 
have pronounced them “soft;” and “soft” 
people Janet had no patience with. She 
came home after a time and prepared her 
father’s supper, and left the friends undis- 


236 


SILAS GOWERS S DAUGHTERS. 


turbed until it was growing too dark for 
Jessie to stay longer. Jessie went home 
then, leaving Neil hap23y as a heart full of 
love, gratitude and hope could make her. 
Her parting words were, ‘‘ You won’t avoid 
me in church any more ; we shall sit together, 
read, sing and pray together. We shall just 
begin where we left off, only I love you a 
great deal better than ever, because I have 
known what it was to do without you. How 
proud and foolish we have been !” 

Before Janet went to bed Neil thanked 
her as the promoter of the present delight- 
ful state of things between herself and Jessie, 
and wondered that Janet took so little credit 
to herself. She was happy and wanted 
sympathy, so she told Janet in detail just 
how it all happened (?) that she and Jessie 
had each so mistaken the other’s meaning. 
Janet was not comfortable. If these two 
girls knew how she had cheated them and 
had lied against little Bob, how they would 
despise her ! Both Jessie and Neil were so 


JANET^S “SUEPBISE: 


237 


without guile that by contrast Janet began 
to recognize her own sin and deception. No, 
she was not comfortable, but there is some- 
thing better than comfort for people ; and at 
this time self-knowledge was better for Janet. 

Every day after this was made happy for 
Neil. About the hour the work at the old 
house was fairly done, and the afternoon sun 
crept around where it flooded Neil’s pretty 
room, just at that time Jessie Bromley was 
sure to come. The two girls had to ‘‘talk 
up” an entire winter, and no matter how 
their tongues flew, the subject grew upon 
them. To Neil, Jessie was the same or 
only dearer, but Jessie soon saw in Neil a 
change. She had “grown in grace.” Out 
of the struggles of her home-life, out of her 
efforts to be gentle and generous, out of 
prayer and Bible-reading, out of every earn- 
est strife toward a higher Christian life, Neil 
was bringing strength and true loveliness of 
character. Jessie soon felt this process of 
culture in all her intercourse with Neil, 


238 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


Hitherto, she had led her in spiritual truth ; 
now they were walking side by side. 

From the first resuming of their friend- 
ship Jessie perceived how much more inte- 
rest Neil took in every member of her family 
than she formerly had. It would have been 
far more agreeable now to ignore Janet as 
formerly, hut NeiFs actions said as plainly 
as words, “ Janet is my sister, and I want to 
have her become a Christian. I want to see 
her grow Christ-like. I cannot help her if 
I put myself a great way off and say, ^ Go 
to Christ.’ I must win her by saying ‘ Corned 
Will you help me ?” And Jessie mentally 
said ‘‘Yes” to the unuttered appeal. 

Again, she knew that Neil was troubled 
because her father showed no care for any- 
thing beyond this present world. Eemem- 
bering Mr. Gower’s politeness to her upon all 
occasions, Jessie resolved to see if she could 
not give him a little start toward better 
things. She came one Saturday night, at 
an hour when he was usually at home, and 


JANETS •^SUBPBISE: 


239 


meeting him in the porch she said in her 
genial way, Oh, Mr. Gower, why do we 
never see you at church ? I do wish you 
would come and hear our present minister ; 
I’m sure you would like him so much. If I 
save a seat for you to-morrow in our pew, 
won’t you come ?” 

Neil, in the room near by, was very glad 
to him say, ‘‘ Well, I never did like to refuse 
a young lady’s invitation. Maybe I will 
make a desperate effort. I do s’pose that 
parson of yours is a likely chap, and I’ve 
had it in my mind to go and hear him.” 

The next day Neil feared that he would be 
of another opinion, but no. He dressed him- 
self with unusual care, and said he guessed 
he’d go to church with her. They went, 
and Jessie treated him with peculiar courtesy, 
ushering him into the Bromley pew, the best 
in the church, and was rejoiced to know, as 
the services proceeded, that no better sermon 
could have been chosen for the occasion. 
It was from the texts, ‘‘Verily I say unto 


240 SILAS GOWEB^S DAUGHTERS. 

you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into 
the kingdom of heaven and this other : 
‘‘Despisest thou the riches of his goodness 
and forbearance and long-suffering, not know- 
ing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to 
repentance?’’ The whole sermon was upon 
the folly of heaping up earthly treasures only 
out of love for them, and despising these 
other wondrous riches to be enjoyed for the 
asking. As Mr. Gower walked home he 
made only commonplace remarks about the 
congregation, hut Jessie Bromley would have 
been very glad she asked him to go to church 
if she had known his real thoughts. He 
was secretly wondering if the picture of a 
man eaten up by worldliness was in any way 
a spiritual photograph of — of — well, any one 
he knew — or only a well-worked-up illustra- 
tion of the minister’s. Then this kingdom of 
heaven ! Was there reality to that, or only 
the illusion he so often sneered at? 

Silas Gower had never been an openly 
vicious man or a violent opposer of either 


JANETS “surprise: 


241 


tlie theory or the practice of religion ; only 
a man all absorbed in money-making and 
money-keeping. He had been for some time 
aware that new elements were at work in the 
very centre of his home-circle, but why 
should he rebel at their operations ? If 
Alvira did her work faithfully, let her sing 
as many hymns over it as she liked. Little 
Bob was continually repeating to him con- 
versations overheard between Neil and Ja- 
net ; and at all times, when Janet had de- 
clared Neil to be too pious ’’ to do certain 
things, Mr. Gower was unprejudiced enough 
to reflect that they were just the things he 
would not wish Neil to do. If her piety was 
going to make her obedient, trustworthy and 
faithful to her father’s commands, why let 
her be as religious as she liked. He even 
went so far as to think a little piety would 
not injure Janet. 

As for Janet, had she realized the earnest 
efibrts in her behalf that Neil and Jessie soon 

began to make, so perverse is human nature 
16 


242 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


she might have frustrated them ; but as it 
was, she fell into their innocent little traps. 
She joined the Sunday-school, because Jessie 
asked her to enter the same class with her- 
self; and she studied her Bible lesson with 
Neil, so as not to seem ignorant. She read 
well-chosen books left in her way in the hope 
she might neglect for them her favorite nov- 
els. It did require a good deal of self- 
sacrifice for Neil to include Janet in many 
of the social chats she had when Jessie came 
to see her. If they talked of the things 
most sacred or most interesting to one an- 
other, Janet was bored and left them. If 
they let her lead the conversation, it went 
straightway into milliners’ shops or village 
scandal or the plot of some sensation story ; 
they had always to search for some middle 
ground where they could meet in harmony, 
yet with some profit and pleasure. The re- 
sult of this union of interests was not at first 
apparent, but after a while a real improve- 
ment began in Janet — first in externals. She 


JANETS ^‘SUBEBISEr 


243 


ceased to accumulate finery ; she put on 
quieter colors ; she took off the head neck- 
laces and flashy bracelets for which she had 
a passion, and about that same time she 
learned to laugh without shouting and to 
talk without noisy exclamations. A faint 
perception of Jessie’s refinement began to 
wake up in her — a fainter one still of 
the ideal of Christian living that both 
Neil and Jessie were aiming to make real 
in themselves. She watched them persist- 
ently, then gradually acquired a new respect 
for her sister and a certain reverence toward 
Jessie, shown by the dropping of all offensive 
familiarity on her own part. It was that 
reverence a coarser nature can feel for a 
finer one if once that fineness penetrates to 
the one who is of the earth earthy.” To 
find another differs from us may not affect 
us : to have it borne in how that other is our 
superior may make us look up and wish for 
nobler things. Now, of course these two 
young girls did not undertake this work 


244 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


with any self-righteous conceit that because 
they were so very good they could impart 
some of their goodness to Janet: it was ra- 
ther that, being Christians, they felt deeply 
the truth uttered by the beloved disciple: 
‘‘If God so loved us, we ought also to 
love one another.’’ 

One evening Neil was returning from an 
errand when Janet met her and walked home 
with her, talking in an amicable way once 
quite unusual, now getting to be delightfully 
frequent. She said this night, “ Neil, I sus- 
pect father don’t feel half so hard toward 
Tibbits as he did. I overheard him talking 
of him to the post-master, and I believe he 
went to Newton Centre on purpose to find 
out if Tibbits could be well cared for in that 
hospital. At any rate, this is what he said 
to Mr. Wilson : ‘ I think when he gets over 
this he will be glad to come back and behave 
himself. I had no idea of being too hard on 
the chap — I only brought him up as my fa- 
ther brought me up — but I begin to think 


JANETS ‘^subfjrise: 


245 


the rein was held pretty tight for these 
times.’ ” 

Neil was so pleased that she could scarce- 
ly refrain from going directly home to plead 
Tibbits’s cause; but on reflection both con- 
cluded that it would be wiser to wait for 
Alvira’s return, which event they impa- 
tiently looked for each day. 

‘‘ If Tibbits does come back,” said Janet, a 
trifle awkwardly, I will make a little more 
of him than I have. He won’t be quite so 
stiff, I presume ; and, any way, it is nicer to 
have a brother that is a companion for us 
than one we never pay any attention to.” 

Indeed it is, Janet, and Tibbits is not 
stupid at all ; he is very generous and kind- 
hearted. I never told you before that Tib- 
btis gave me money to buy my school-books 
and a dress and other things that he 
thought I could not get.” 

Janet was silent with astonishment, first 
at the fact of something having been done 
in the family that she had not found out ; 


246 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


secondly, at Neil for giving her this mark 
of confidence in telling ; lastly, at Tibbits, 
the silent, shy brother. She said finally, 
‘‘ Well, he was kind. I did not think he 
ever cared for us.’’ 

We did not show that we cared for him. 
AVe might have been a good deal happier 
family. It is not too late to be so now.” 

Janet was silent, but not at all scornful. 
She was doing a considerable amount of 
thinking about these days, and her thoughts 
would have surprised Neil. 


CHAPTER XI. 


ALVIRA^S VISIT. 



LVIHA HIGGINS sat once more before 


the bright kitchen-fire and discoursed to 
more than the usual number of listeners. It 
was the evening of the day she returned, and 
she had not before found time for any de- 
tailed narration of facts ; so as soon as the 
supper was over Bob sat down with the cat, 
Neil and Janet drew near, and Mr. Gower 
laid himself out upon the lounge, where he 
could listen or not as he pleased, for by this 
time he well understood that Alvira had 
been to see Tibbits. 

Well, now,’’ began Alvira, let me see. 
I started from home in the morning. It was 
a proper nice day for a journey, and I enjoy- 
ed seeing new faces and new doings ; though 
as to that, folks seem to be the same the earth 


247 


248 SILAS GO WEB’S DAUGHTERS. 

over;’’ and Alvira looked as sagacious as if 
she had “ put a belt around the world ” since 
she left Bricktop Corners. I s’posed we’d 
be in the city by noon, but no — we only 
stopped somewhere then for refreshments. I 
got out, and didn’t like the looks o’ things : 
the pervisions made me think of poor butter 
and fat-soaked doughnuts. I told a waiter- 
girl I’d have some green tea if she had any 
steeped ; if not, she needn’t bother. She gig- 
gled — maybe ’cos green tea is sort of out of 
date — but she said, ‘ Oh yes, we've got it.’ 
Then another woman near me said she’d 
have some black if it was strong ; and the 
girl didn’t giggle, but I saw her take both 
sorts out of the same pot ; howsomever, she 
might have said ’twas pink or yaller, for all 
the good taste there was to it. I didn’t try 
to make any acquaintances on the road ; only 
there was a poor sewing-girl on board that 
had an epileptic fit, and ’twas well I was 
along to see to her, because the other pas- 
sengers were dreadful scared. — Then, Bob, 


ALVIBA’S VISIT. 


249 


them apples you laughed at me for taking 
just delighted every child I came across, ap- 
ples being a little scarce in the city now. — 
There was such a nice old lady agoin’ all 
alone to her daughter’s funeral. Poor old 
mother ! I knowed she had a trouble, she 
looked so white and pinched. After I fixed 
her a shawl to her back and gave her my 
bottle to smell — without asking no 
questions, of course — she told me what the 
matter was, and so after that I kind of stayed 
her up with a comfortin’ promise once in a 
while. About four o’clock we landed in the 
city. I thought I’d go straight to the hos- 
pital first, and then see what I’d do next. I 
had an awful time with hack-drivers ; there’s 
no such thing as being civil and explainin’ 
to ’em why you don’t want ’em. Then, too, 
little boys a-teasin’ to carry my bag. How’d 
I know I’d ever see my brushes and combs 
again ? 

‘‘I was about tuckered out before I got 
to the street to which the police-ofiicer di- 


250 


SILAS GO WEB’S DAUGHTERS. 


rected me ; but I did get there, and to a 
monstrous big, clean red brick house a-settin’ 
in a nice dooryard, and long stone steps up 
to it. That was the hospital, I knew. I 
rang the bell, got showed into an office, then 
saw two doctors and a matron and half a 
dozen nurses before I got a peep at Tibbits. 
’Twas plain they didn’t want me around at 
first, but I got my eye on one old white- 
headed doctor I see had a good deal of au- 
thority, and I just stated my case pretty 
plain to him. Solomon says, ‘ Let another 
man praise thee, and not thine own mouth,’ 
but you see there wa’n’t no other around who 
knew Alvira Higgins to be a tip-top nurse ; 
and so I just said it of myself, and said it 
emphatic. He seemed sort of amused, and 
went himself with me to see Tibbits. Poor 
boy! What a start the sight of him gave 
me I You know how red he always was ? 
Well, his face was as white as the bedspread. 
He was asleep, and we did not wake him up. 
The doctor said he had been there just a 



Tibbits in the Hospital. 


Page 250, 


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ALVIBA^S VISIT. 


251 


month ; he had typhoid pneumonia first, 
then he got better, then worse. He had a 
fever that left him weak, and now he had a 
bad state of the lungs. Well, I began to put 
out feelers to know how often I could see him, 
and what I ought to do for him ; and by and 
by I discovered that two of the nurses there 
were sick, and the rest of them were over- 
worked in consequence. I just said to that 
old doctor, ‘I was a regular nurse for ten 
years of my life, and if you don’t believe 
all I say, go and ask about me of the Rev. 
Dr. Welles, if he is over the Park street 
church here yet. He knew me for years. 
If you’ll let me stay by this young friend 
of mine, I’ll nurse the patients in this part 
of the house — any of them — for three weeks, 
and do it well.’ He said he’d consider the 
proposition : that, I’ve no doubt, meant that 
he sent some of the medical students (as 
thick about there as toads in spring) across 
the town to Dr. Welles. At any rate, about 
supper-time the matron told me I was ap- 


252 


SILAS GO WEB’S BAUGHTEBS. 


pointed a temporary assistant, and I went 
right to work. 

Law me ! How I wish you could have 
seen your poor brother when I brought a cup 
of beef-tea and spoke up as chipper : ‘ Come 
now, Tibbits, do have a little something 
strengthening.^ He opened his eyes and 
stared at me without a blink ; then he shut 
’em, saying, ‘ I’m crazy again ; I thought it 
was Alvira.’ — ‘ And so it is / why shouldn’t 
it be?’ says I, laughing. He looked up once 
more, and, if you would believe it, he actually 
pulled my head over and kissed me, and just 
began to cry because a wizzled-up old maid 
had come to take care of him. ‘ Oh, Alvira,’ 
says he, ‘ I’ve been so homesick ! How is 
Neil and little Bob, and the horses and cows, 
and all the rest of the folks?’ I sort of 
soothed him down, giving him a sup of the 
tea and a pleasant word from each of you ; 
then I fussed over him till he fell asleep, and 
I went to attend to the rest of my patients. 
None of ’em happened to be very sick or to 


ALVIBjVS visit. 


253 


need so very much care, though after a while 
they used to pretend they did, because they 
seemed to like to have me around ; it was 
a sort of a change, I s’pose. I don’t much 
wonder at it, either, if what they said was 
true — that one of their nurses took snuff and 
dropped it often into their broth, and was so 
fat and clumsy she used to spill hot tea in 
their eyes and noses. Tibbits himself said 
she once slid a slice of buttered toast direct- 
ly across his countenance ; and these are not 
nice habits for any nurse. Well, little by 
little I found out everything Tibbits had 
been doing since he went away and she 
glanced toward the lounge to see if Mr. 
Gower was attentive. When he left home 
he was clear discouraged ; it seemed, he said, 
as if he was just ready to go to the bad ; but 
he told me to tell you, Neil, that he could 
not forget what you said to him up in the 
hay ; and he made up his mind to make a 
few desperate efforts to do something and to 
be somebody before he gave up entirely. He 


254 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


worked for farmers along the route. Being 
strong and industrious, they saw he knew 
what he was about, and paid him what he 
earned. About the last of October he got to 
the city, and began to look for steady work 
in some machine-shop or place of that sort 
(you know his liking for such things). Well, 
he didn’t succeed for a while, but he got a 
decent boarding-place, and what he did next, 
and what he wanted me to tell Neil, was, that 
he thought he’d begin to turn over his new 
leaf by going to church and Sunday-school 
regular. He happened to get into the class 
of one of the very best young men I guess 
there ever was (Tibbits thinks so) — a man who 
wasn’t contented till he knew what he was 
trying to do and to be, and how he was get- 
ting along. He took him to the rooms of 
the Young Men’s Christian Association, and 
showed him a free library where he could 
read evenings. He left his name registered 
as one looking for work, and he befriended 
him from the very start. — Do you know, 


ALVIBA^S VISIT. 


255 


Neil, wlien Tibbits was a-tellin’ all that I 
kept rememberin’ how you and I were prayin’ 
for him, and a-feelin’ the only hold we had 
on him was by prayer ? I believe the Lord 
set that very young Christian at work for 
Tibbits. It’s likely he s’posed he was only 
doing his own Christian duty, and couldn’t 
know he was a-answerin’ our prayer for us. 
Isn’t that beautiful — to think maybe God is 
all the time using his Christians in ways they 
never dream, not only to glorify him, but to 
help one another? 

Well, by and by Tibbits did get regular 
work in some manufactory, and liked what 
he had to do. He has been a hard worker 
all his life ” (Mr. Gower grunted) ; ‘‘he had 
no bad habits — he was only just ready to 
form them, but he didn’t, because, for one 
thing, the Sunday-school teacher had showed 
him so much better ways of spending his 
time that after working-hours he read books 
about machines ; for one thing is certain, he 
was borne for fussin’ over such things, and 


256 


SILAS GOWEB^S DAUGHTERS. 


not horses and cows, if he did ask after their 
health. You’d all be just downright aston- 
ished to see how the boy has improved. You 
know he never said much ; now he has so 
much to tell about the curiosities he has seen 
and studied into about the city. I could see 
he’d been most crazy for new ideas, and he’s 
got ’em, and mostly good ones too. Well, so 
far so fine ; but one day, right in the middle 
of everything, he took sick and found hini' 
self in the hospital.” 

How did he get there, and does he have 
to pay for it?” asked Mr. Gower abruptly. 

Alvira glanced at him a little impatiently 
before she went on, saying, “ When Tibbits 
was taken he was earning good ’wages. He 
paid regular for respectable board, had got 
some good plain clothes, and was just agoin’ 
to try and put a trifle every week into the 
savings bank ; but there he was, all at once, 
flat on his back. Now, folks do have to pay 
to get into that hospital most generally, for it 
ain’t the free city one, which, according to 


ALVIRA^S VISIT. 


257 


report, must be a horrid place. But when 
that ’ere Sunday-school teacher I tell you 
about heerd how Tibbits was situated, he 
went to work to see what he could do; and 
it seems the church where he belongs owns 
so many beds, as they call it, in this hospital, 
and can send patients there. They hadn’t 
‘lived up to their privileges’ all the time, 
and as this young man had a good deal of 
influence in the church, gave lots of money 
and so on, he just got Tibbits sent there and 
taken care of. About a week before I got 
there some busybody or other took it into 
his head Tibbits wa’n’t a fit subject for free 
nursin’, and was tryin’ to make a fuss. I jist 
see how ’twas, and I proposed to work out 
Tibbits’s passage myself by being a nurse 
without any wages; and I tried to do my 
work faithful. I got Tibbits able to set up 
and to take a few steps; then I made ar- 
rangements for his staying till he could go 
to work ; and here I am, jist as good as 

new.” 

ir 


258 


SILAS GO WEB’S BAUGHTEBS. 


Better shouted Bob gallantly, remem- 
bering the oranges she had brought him. 

‘‘ I really did get attached to them other 
patients, and hated to leave ’em. This 
moriiin’, when I went around the ward to 
say good-bye, they showed out so warm- 
hearted I didn’t know whether to laugh or 
to cry. They said they hadn’t, before I 
come, had half so good a time — their faces 
washed just when they felt like it, their tea 
never sloppy nor their food mussy ; and 
who’d preach at ’em and sing hymns ? 
‘ Preach P said I ; ‘ did I ever do that ?’ — 
‘ Yes, like a good one,’ says one man that’s 
agoin’ to die soon. ‘ I never heerd so much 
Bible-talk since my mother died, thirty years 
ago, the blessed old lady !’ — ‘ Well,’ says I, 
‘ all the verses I know is fresh to me, and I 
don’t seem to let them slip my mind. So 
now you want to go and see that old moth- 
er of yours, do you ?’ That hit him : I knew 
it would. I see him wipin’ his eyes after a 
minute. They all used to run me a little 


ALVIEA^S VISIT. 


259 


about my hymn-singin’ ; so I left off, but 
then they called for it again ; and one young 
chap, always so comical when he was out of 
pain for three minutes at a time — he said the 
one tune was so horrid it fascinated him, 
but the different words to it was like goin’ 
to a prayer-meeting. He was a good boy, 
too, if he was so full of fun f and Alvira 
paused for breath. 

Poor Tibbits said Neil. ‘‘ How I would 
like to hear him tell his experiences ! I 
knew he’d be glad to see you.” 

I should think he was doing first-rate 
and needn’t ask no odds of anybody,” said 
Mr. Gower, avoiding any allusion to Alvira’s 
“arrangements.” That was her business, not 
his; then, relieved of any anxiety he may 
have felt, Mr. Gower retired to his office. 

“Tibbits promised me,” said Alvira to 
the girls, “ that when he was well (and he 
is going to write to you, Neil) he would let 
us know that he had gone back to his work ; 
and then, he said, he wanted his father told 


260 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


that he was sorry for all the rude words he 
used to him the day he run away and be- 
fore, and to tell him it was now best that he 
should stay away and work out his own way ; 
only he did not want hard feelings between 
'them. He wanted to wait until he got well 
before this was told, or. else his father would 
say he was sorry because he wanted something 
of him ; and he did not, only his good-will. 
The spite and bitterness has sort of gone out 
of Tibbits : that Sunday-school man has done 
him a sight of good.’’ 

am so glad to hear such good things 
about him ! If he had not fallen into bad 
ways, I feared he certainly had suffered from 
poverty.” 

You’ll be gladder to hear how patiently 
he let me talk to him about bein’ a Christian, 
and how he said he would be one if he knew 
just how. He’ll find that out, for Christ 
will tell the willing ones that he is the way. 
Tibbits said as soon as Neil got to be one he 
began to love her.” 


ALVIBA^S VISIT. 


261 


Neirs eyes slowly filled with tears, and 
Janet sat perfectly silent, without a sneer. 
Neil in her heart was thinking how abun- 
dantly God had blessed her w'^eak little efibrts 
to serve him. Janet was not putting her 
thoughts into so definite a shape, but was 
dimly realizing that she had not called out 
from any one the kind of love Neil had. 
Tibbits had perhaps not once mentioned 
her ; at any rate, Alvira had not reported 
any word or message. 

Neiks school began again about the time 
Alvira returned, and as the beautiful spring 
days came on she used to ask herself, while 
she studied her tasks in the cheerful school- 
room, if she were indeed the discontented 
girl who only one year before wished she 
saw anything in life to make it desirable. 
Now her heart was full of hope and courage ; 
it seemed to her that with God’s help she 
could carry out so many plans, not only for 
her own improvement, but she might herself 


262 


SILAS G OWLETS LAUGH TEES. 


come to be a Helper. She and Jessie had 
many long, earnest talks in those bright 
spring days, and they stirred one another up 
to love and to good works. Jessie needed 
such a friend as Neil to arouse her into the 
vigorous Christian effort of which she was 
really capable. Not that Jessie was indolent, 
but with her life ran so smoothly along she 
was somehow in danger of forgetting that 
her lot was an exceptionally happy one. 
Nature had given Jessie singularly sweet 
and unselfish traits of character ; grace had 
moulded that character into symmetry and 
truer beauty ; and so her inner life was far 
more peaceful than Neihs, for this reason, 
as well as for another not to be overlooked — 
namely, in her outer life there seemed almost 
nothing to vex, contradict or annoy her. 

Dearie me Alvira used to exclaim ; that 
child don’t know no more about tribulations 
than a sugar-dove in a nest of pink cotton.” 
Jessie herself used to wonder why God was 
so very good to her — why he gave her bless- 


ALVIRA^S VISIT. 


263 


ings that other people seemed to deserve so 
much more than she did. When thinking 
this she often prayed, Lord, what wilt thou 
have me to do ?’' And the continued light, 
beauty and happiness in her own life sug- 
gested to her that she should try contin- 
ually to share it with others as she already 
had with Neil. 

Neil in her present life found that Jessie’s 
little book told her the simple truth : ‘‘Both 
above and below, without and within, which 
way soever thou dost turn, everywhere thou 
shalt find the cross, and everywhere of ne- 
cessity thou must hold fast patience if thou 
wilt have inward peace.” But she also found 
that “in the cross is infusion of heavenly 
sweetness, in the cross is strength.” She 
began to experience this from the first of 
her Christian life. 

April and May passed ; June came in its 
loveliness ; school closed, and the friends had 
hours together when they chose. Neil heard 
often from her brother ; he had returned ta 


264 SILAS GOWERS S DAUGHTERS. 

his work, and was very grateful to Alvira, 
thought always of Neil with affection, and, 
best of all, Neil was sure that Tibbits was 
almost if not quite persuaded to be a Chris- 
tian. He was under the constant influence of 
a faithful Sunday-school teacher, and from 
many shy statements it was to be gathered 
that the good seed was not falling upon stony 
ground. She herself wrote often to him, 
and always openly avowed her interest in 
his being her brother in Christ as well as by 
human relationship. She was naturally so 
reserved that she might not have done this; 
but one sunny day, as she was riding over 
the hills with Jessie in the phaeton, Jessie 
said, 

‘‘ Be a faithful sister, Neil. If I had a bro- 
ther I would hedge him in with prayers. I 
would be such a sister to him, because I 
was a Christian, that if he were tempted to 
do or to be anything he would not like me to 
know, the thought of me would shame him 
back to Christian living and Christian com- 


ALVIBA^S VISIT. 


265 


panionship. Girls can do this, I know, if 
they only try sincerely.” 

Neil listened, and resolved prayerfully to 
be such a sister to Tibbits. After a few 
minutes’ silence she said, speaking more 
openly of Janet than ever before, “ I do not 
understand Janet lately ; she does not act 
like herself.” 

^‘In what respect?” 

“ She is quieter and not at all inclined to 
quarrel ; perhaps I used to provoke her more ; 
I presume she found me disagreeable. Now 
she is kinder to Alvira, and more unselfish, 
but she don’t seem happy or excited. The 
more I do for her the more depressed she 
acts. I don’t mean that I do any great thing 
for her ; only the other day I proposed that 
we should clean house and make her room 
pretty and tasteful like mine. This time she 
agreed to all I planned ; we worked hard 
and had fine success; they don’t seem like 
the same old ugly rooms. I took a few things 
out of my chamber and put into hers, and 


266 


SILAS GO WEB’S DAUGHTERS, 


she carried them all back, but not in a cross 
way at all ; once she would have kept them 
without a sign of dissent, and I cannot 
account for the change. Alvira says, ‘Let 
her be sober ; it will do her good.’ Alvira is 
so blunt, you know.” 

“ I have not wanted to speak of it before 
you did,” interposed Jessie, “ and I did not 
think you had noticed it, but Janet treats me 
very differently. She was always polite — too 
much so for me to feel that she liked me. 
Lately, she does not talk so much, and I 
cannot describe her manner ; but she seems 
to have more faith in me — more reserve, but 
a good deal more kindliness. Once or twice, 
when she has left us together, I half fancied 
she was wishing she had such a friendship 
for herself.” 

“I wish she had. Don’t you know of 
another Jessie Bromley all for her? If 
you do, I know she would make Janet bet- 
ter and happier.” 

“ There ! there, Neil Gower !” laughed Jes- 


ALVIBA'S VISIT. 


267 


sie. Don’t begin to flatter at this late day, 
when you never have before.” 

From this the conversation branched off 
into other topics, and Janet was forgotten ; 
but as the two girls parted Jessie drew her- 
self up with playful dignity, saying, “ When 
I ride next time. Miss Gower, I propose to 
invite another young lady. If you are jeal- 
ous, you can entertain the green-eyed mon- 
ster at your leisure ; it won’t make any dif- 
ference to me.” 

Neil bowed with mock deference, and left 
her to explain herself thereafter. She un- 
derstood it the next day, when Jessie came 
and invited Janet to go with her for a long, 
delightful drive. The latter was puzzled, 
pleased and more kindly disposed toward J es- 
sie than ever before in the last year. She 
hurriedly dressed herself, and by a recently 
awakened sense of fitness left off those arti- 
cles of cheap finery with which she had for- 
merly so lavishly adorned herself. Having 
learned that Jessie really was unaffected, Ja- 


268 


SILAS GOWERS S DAUGHTERS, 


net ceased to flatter her or to assume any airs 
herself. 

As they rode along the pleasant country- 
roads the two girls chatted of all sorts of lo- 
cal interests, and Jessie recognized a certain 
good sense under Janet’s bluntness. Quite 
inadvertently she quoted a remark of Neil’s 
that showed Janet in an excellent light ; no 
studied efibrt could have so impressed Janet 
with Neil’s sisterly interest. A strange ex- 
pression flitted across her face, and she was 
more thoughtful after it. Jessie Bromley 
had an object, over and above her desire to 
please her, in asking Janet to ride. But if Ja- 
net had suspected by any far-fetched, cau- 
tious remarks of Jessie’s that the latter in- 
tended to ^‘do her good,” all Janet’s prejudices 
would have been up in arms ; for, like many 
others, she hated to know that Christians 
were sending out careful, half-fearful feelers 
after her spiritual condition. With due refer- 
ence to time and place, she much preferred 
directness and simplicity ; therefore it sur- 


ALVIRA'S VISIT. 


269 


prised her somewhat, but did not angrily 
embarrass her, when Jessie, with the same 
gentle ease with which she had talked of the 
elm trees and the roses, the right road to the 
nearest town and the peculiarity of it — with 
this same ease, but a little more gravely, said, 

Janet, I wish I knew that you were a 
Christian 
Why r 

‘‘Because you would be a great deal 
happier.’’ 

“Perhaps. I don’t know about that. I 
should make very hard work of 

“ You would certainly if you tried to work 
it all out for yourself; but it is God that 
worketh in you, and after that life is so 
much better, easier and more satisfactory!” 

“ Neil finds it so, I suppose, because natu- 
rally — Well, she is not so ugly as I am,” 
said Janet candidly. 

“I never happened to see you anything 
but good-tempered, and if you can be so 
half the time in your own strength, certainly 


270 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


with God’s help you could be so all the 
time.’' 

But I am not saying that I want to be a 
Christian at all,” said Janet decisively : I 
don’t feel like a dreadful sinner. I don’t 
love the Lord ; I don’t enjoy Bible-reading 
or prayer-meetings or pious talk, as I would 
if I were anxious to be good that way.” 

I don’t know what way of being good 
you mean,” returned Jessie. I think likely 
it is some stupid, disagreeable way; but if 
you did wish to be a Christian, you would 
not love and enjoy those things before you 
were one. It would not prove that a man 
did not want to go to Cuba because he did 
not love bananas that he had never tasted, 
or enjoy the climate he had not yet lived 
in, or go into raptures over palm trees he 
had never seen ; would it, now ?” asked Jes- 
sie earnestly. 

‘^No — of course not.” 

“ Besides, you may not give yourself credit 
for as much desire as you do have. Are you 


ALVIRA’S VISIT. 


271 


as satisfied and happy as Neil is since she 
became a Christian?’’ 

^‘Very likely not.” 

“Well, then (you see I am going to be a 
regular living catechism), you may not feel 
that you are a dreadful sinner ; but when 
you think of God as knowing every thought 
of yoitr heart, every word of your lips, every 
single act of your whole life, and when you 
remember that he is perfectly holy and pure 
and good and just, do you feel that you 
are blameless ? If he should suddenly ask 
to look at your soul right out in the broad 
light — granted such a thing were possible — 
would you be sure that it was white and 
spotless ?” 

Janet winced uneasily, but answered,. “No, 
oh no ! Keasoning it all out coolly so, I 
know I must be very black in his eyes; hut 
it don’t make me do as some people would 
think I ought to — cry and wring my hands 
and talk about my sins.” 

“ Never mind other people. This is be- 


272 


SILAS GOWER’S LAUGHTERS. 


tween God and you. The Bible tells of a 
man who prayed, ' Lord, be merciful to me 
a sinner.’ But it does not say his trouble 
attracted everybody’s attention or that he 
did anything but repent and pray; then 
God forgave him. But yoUj when you rea- 
son it out that you are ‘all black before 
God,’ are you glad or sorry?” 

“Why, I’m uncomfortable of course, and 
frightened sometimes.” 

“ Well, then, if you think of yourself 
standing so before God, and he, instead of 
being angry at you for being black, being a 
great deal more sorry for the blackness than 
you are, and a thousand times more anxious 
to have you happy again and ‘ white as snow ’ 
— when you think you can’t do one single 
thing for yourself, but that if you are will- 
ing and ask it, God for Christ’s sake will 
blot out all your transgressions and remem- 
ber your sins no more for ever, — after all 
that don’t you think you could love the 
Lord ?” 


ALVIRA^S VISIT. 


273 


Yes, if I saw and felt and believed it 

ali;^ 

“ Indeed you would ! Well, Janet, when 
you can say, ‘ I will arise and go unto my 
Father, and say unto him. Father, I have 
sinned against heaven and before thee,’ you 
will soon know that he does forgive sins, and 
that your life can be something a great deal 
better than before, and the Bible and prayer- 
meetings will find their place soon enough.” 

‘‘ But I should have to go around confess- 
ing, and I hate to confess.” 

“ I don’t know just what you mean ; but 
what is the use of worrying over what you 
would do if you were a Christian, when you 
can’t tell how it would seem to be one ?” 

Janet found this remark so philosophical 
that she meditated a while in silence. By 
and by Jessie said brightly, I want you to 
read some things in the Bible that I am go- 
ing to mark for you, and to begin to pray 
that the Lord Jesus Christ will show you 

how to be a Christian. I shall pray for it 
18 


274 


SILAS GOWEB^S DAUGHTEBS. 


every day, too ; then what a surprise we shall 
give Neil soon !” 

Jessie’s faith went home to Janet’s heart 
like a ray of sunlight, and not less did she 
feel the tact of her last intimation that Jes- 
sie’s confidence was for the present a secret. 
She said simply, “ Thank you !” and Jessie 
turned the conversation to other subjects, 
making the ride as pleasant as possible to 
Janet. 


CHAPTER XII. 


THE BROTHER AGAIN. 

TT was tlie close of a day in June, the most 
exquisitely lovely day of the whole year 
— a summer Sabbath, when every flower and 
tree and bud seemed to give back to the 
beholder a thought of God’s infinite love. 
Every member of the Gower family had 
been that day to church, for Neil had pub- 
licly avow^ed her faith in Christ, and had 
joined herself to his Church on earth. Mr. 
Gower had not opposed her at all in this ; 
neither had Janet thrown any hinderance 
in her way. As for Alvira, already a mem- 
ber of the same fold, she had been earnest in 
her endeavor to help Neil to take this step. 
Now the sweet, solemn services of the Sab- 
bath were all ended, and in the gathering 

275 


276 


SILAS GO WEE’S LAUGHTERS. 


twilight Neil sat in the porch with little 
Bob. She had been reading to him from his 
favorite, Progress, until the daylight 

became too uncertain. When the book was 
closed Bob left her, and her father came out 
into the cool air to smoke his pipe. Neil sat 
with him in silence a while, and then said, 
“ When I spoke of joining the Church you 
said, father, ‘ Beligion is good for a woman.’ 
I have been wondering what you meant.” 

Oh, it sobers them down — makes them 
better-tempered and not so tricky — does 
them good generally.” 

“ What does it do to a man ?” 

‘‘Makes a hypocrite of him if he has 
too little, and a failure if he has too 
much.” 

“ What sort of a failure ?” 

“ Oh, it takes the snap and sharpness out 
of him, so that he is too squeamish ever to 
succeed in business — has got to look into the 
right and the wrong and the honesty and 
the. law and the gospel before ever he will 


THE BROTHER AGAIN. 


277 


pick up the penny at his feet ; and by that 
time somebody else has grabbed it.” 

The Bible says, ‘ Godliness is profitable,’ ” 
put in Alvira, suddenly appearing from the 
background. 

Maybe it was in Bible times, but it is 
not so now-a-days.” 

‘‘ It says,” she continued, that ‘ it has 
promise of the life that now is and of that 
which . is to come.’ If that is the case, and 
anybody could (which I don’t believe, nohow) 
prove that ’tain’t now profitable for this here 
life — which, taken at its very longest, lasts 
such a short time — yet over and above was 
profitable for the one to come, which is to go 
on for ever and ever and ever, I reckon a 
man is abundantly foolish that don’t consid- 
er whether or no he is safe in despisin’ it.” 

“ Only think what it means !” said Neil 
reverently. “I suppose godly is Godlike, 
and so Godlikeness — that is, having good- 
ness and purity and love, being perfect 
even as our Father in heaven is perfect.” 


278 SILAS GOWEE^S LAUGHTERS. 

“ Oh, you are gettin’ into metaphysics — you 
ain’t practical,” said Mr. Gower. Of course 
all these wonderful ideas are good and proper 
to preach about, but I come right down to 
every-day matters — to religion as we find it.” 

Where we find it genuine I s’pose it is 
like gold, always the same,” returned Alvira ; 
‘‘and it is the carryin’ out of the Bible 
definition — ‘ to visit the widow and the father- 
less, and to keep unspotted from the world.’ 
If that had just stopped halfway, what an 
easy matter to be as religious as you please ! 
but the other half, the keeping ‘ unspotted 
from the world,’ knocks a body’s self-right- 
eousness flat.” 

“ Oh, I don’t know about that,” said Mr. 
Gower, as if he thought his could keep its 
feet under any circumstances. 

“ Don’t know gasped Alvira. “ Then I 
only wonder if you ever searched your soul 
to see if it was unspotted — if you ever soberly 
took the holy life and character of our Lord 
Jesus Christ and laid yours alongside of it, to 


THE BROTHER AGAIN. 


279 


see how the two looked together? If you 
ever did, I guess you know what it is to 
be lost in thankfulness to a God who says, 
‘ Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall 
be as white as snow; though they be red 
like crimson, they shall be as wool.’ ” 

Alviry, you’d make a first-rate Methodist 
exhorter.” 

Neither Alvira nor Neil spoke for a while. 
Neil could not, for her father’s callous indif- 
ference was always more dispiriting to her 
than open hostility would have been. Al- 
vira was pondering what to say next, for, as 
the reader is by this time aware, Alvira felt 
perfect freedom in this house to say what she 
chose ; so at last she broke out again : “ Do 
you believe in the Bible — that it is God’s 
word ?” 

‘‘Y-e-s — in the main, allowin’ for differ- 
ence in explainin’ of it.” 

What do you base your hopes of gettin’ 
to heaven on?” 

Well, if there is any such a place, on 


280 


SILAS GOWEB^S DAUGHTEBS. 


God’s mercy. He made me; lie ain’t, it’s 
likely, agoin’ to fling me off at the last.” 

“ If the Lord is your Father, and gave 
you a whole book full of commands, and you 
haven’t kept perfect so much as one, nor 
maybe tried some of ’em, what makes you 
argue like that ? You ain’t a-bein’ practical 
yourself now. If your son never minded 
one thing you ordered him to do and to be, 
but went around in defiance, a-sayin’, ‘ Oh, 
he’s my father ; at the last he’ll let me into 
a great estate because I trust in his mercy,’ 
then of course you’re going to do it and 
love him just the same, ain’t you?” 

Mr. Gower grunted ambiguously. He 
found it more agreeable, after all, to have re- 
ligion talked metaphysically, not practically. 
He smoked in silence, and Alvira, thinking 
she had said enough, went away to read her 
Bible. In a few moments Neil said simply, 

I don’t want to argue with you, father, but 
I do wish you would let me urge you to study 
the Bible and find out just what you do be- 


THE BROTHER AGAIN. 


281 


lieve — find out wliat Christ’s work on earth 
was, and if it had anything to do with you. 
I want you to be a Christian.” 

Mr. Gower took out his pipe, puffed a 
cloud of smoke from his mouth, and then in 
the twilight sat looking at Neil, thinking not 
so much of her words as of her. She had 
grown tall and slim, and in the dim light her 
face, turned toward his, recalled with startling 
clearness that of her dead mother. All that 
there ever had been of gentleness in her fa- 
ther had gone into the affection he once had 
for her mother. She had been a frail, quiet 
little woman, not at all the person one would 
have supposed that he would have chosen for a 
wife ; but he was never intentionally unkind 
to her when living, and mourned as it was in 
him to mourn when she died. Deep down 
in her soul she cherished a hope in Christ that 
was like smoking flax, but she never talked 
of it ; and after her sudden death by heart 
disease she was remembered for her negative 
virtues rather than for any decided charac- 


282 


SILAS GO WEB ^S LAUGHTEBS. 


teristics. Neil had come to resemble her in 
person, and had received from her refinement 
and reserve ; her firmness and intellect were, 
it may be, from the grandfather, whose old 
books first formed her taste. But, as we 
have said, Mr. Gower was more impressed 
to-night by Neil herself than by her words. 
He felt for her a certain new kindliness, and 
showed it by some questions he began to ask 
her. She could not have chosen a more oppor- 
tune time than that to make of him a request, 
and some good spirit may have whispered this 
to her, for as he rose to go in she rose also 
and came to him, saying, ‘‘Father, will you 
let me do something?” 

“What?” 

“I want to see Tibbits so much! Can’t 
I ask him to come for a day or two, over 
some Sunday? He has done so well, you 
know, and everybody says he will succeed 
in his work. He is sorry for what he did 
before he went from home, and has said 
that he was wrong.” 


THE BROTHER AGAIN. 


283 


“I don’t believe be wants to come. He 
bad better stick to bis business, if be bas 
got any.” 

Ob, only for a day or two.” 

‘^Well, ask bim; I don’t care. He is 
bis own master now.” 

Neil thanked bim so heartily that Mr. 
Gower went to bed quite well pleased. He 
did have considerable curiosity to see Tibbits 
and to bear his adventures. 

Neil sat out in the starlight alone then, 
but just inside the parlor w^as Janet, who 
bad been there all the evening. She bad 
entirely given up her old habit of making 
Sunday a holiday for visiting and riding, 
and this particular day she bad seemed pe- 
culiarly impressed by the church-services. 
When Neil was left alone she came out and 
sat down near her on the steps. 

Father says we may write to Tibbits to 
come home, Janet.” 

am glad, though I don’t suppose he 
cares anything about seeing me.” 


284 


SILAJS GOWBE^S EAUGHTEES. 


‘‘ He will when he finds — when — Well, 
Janet, I think you are very much im- 
proved.” 

No, I am not,” returned Janet moodily. 
“I have got the blues, and that is all that 
ails me. If I felt lively I should probably 
lose your good opinion soon enough.” 

Neil scarcely knew what answer to make, 
so said nothing. After a while Janet said, 
with a labored efibrt to speak, quite as if it 
were a purely theoretical question, People 
talk about confessing their sins when they 
want to be Christians; they mean, I sup- 
pose, that if they confess them all to the 
Lord, that is enough.” 

‘‘Yes, of course. — Oh, I suppose,” added 
Neil quickly, “ that there are some sins that 
are double — I mean sins against God and 
also against somebody else. If I had stolen 
money, I would think I ought to confess 
it to God and make it right with the per- 
son I wronged.” 

“It would be a great deal easier to confess 


THE BROTHER AGAIN. 


285 


to God tlian to make yourself feel so mean 
before somebody else.” 

“ Yes ; but when once you make up your 
mind that a right thing must be done, it is, 
as Alvira says, ‘ like getting into the dentist’s 
chair — the tooth is the next thing to being 
out and done with.’ I remember the first 
term I was in school I went to a class know- 
ing my lesson perfectly. The teacher was 
very severe and despised anything dishon- 
orable. After a while, suddenly every idea 
about a certain topic went out of my head. 
I was sure one glance at the book would 
bring it all back, and saw that the forgotten 
page would come to me to recite. Quick as 
a flash, I purposely dropped the book out of 
my lap, and in picking it up managed to get 
the glimpse and caught the connection ; so I 
recited perfectly. When I came to think, I 
felt I had cheated ; I confessed to God, but 
knew I would not like the teacher to know 
it. It worried me, so that at last I did go 
and tell all about it. I expected the confes- 


286 


SILAS GOWEE^S DAUGHTEES. 


sion would about use me up, but I was a 
great deal happier ; and as to the teacher, 
I really believe that he trusted me more 
after it/’ 

Neil’s timely revelation of her own past 
trouble brought Janet’s to the surface and 
put it into words : 

“ Well, Neil Gower, I did something once 
that I suppose you will think horrid mean. 
I took a note that Jessie Bromley wrote you 
and lost it on purpose, and then laid it onto 
Bob.” That much out, Janet was amazed 
to find herself meekly answering Neil’s as- 
tonished but not angry questions. A sense 
of this new meekness, and what it must have 
cost Janet, suddenly struggled through Neil’s 
bewilderment, and she put her arm around 
her quickly, saying afiectionately, “ I forgive 
it, and you never need think of it again ; I 
will not. It is all right with Jessie now, 
and you and I will live a great deal happier 
than we ever have before. It really will be 
delightful ! Here is Tibbits coming home, 


THE BROTHER AGAIN. 


287 


and father willing that he should ; every- 
thing gets brighter and nicer every day.” 

Janet was not as enthusiastic, but she lis- 
tened to NeiFs plans for carrying out this 
pleasant state of things, and made no dis- 
agreeable reflection, as once she would have 
done without a doubt. 

The full import of Janet’s confession did 
not come to Neil until the girls had parted 
for the night. She had spoken of steps 
taken by those who wanted to be Christians, 
and Neil could not but believe that at last 
Janet was counting herself among that 
number. 


CHAPTEE Xlir. 


LIGHTER DAYS. 

A S soon as it was well known that Tibbits 
was coming home the whole family re- 
joiced and went to work to make his visit a 
sort of festival. He would have been sur- 
prised to find that they considered him of 
so much importance. At first the rejoicing 
was a little subdued in Mr. GowePs presence, 
but little by little he seemed to enter into 
the spirit of it, and entirely to overlook the 
circumstances of the boy’s departure. Mr. 
Gower had really done some remarkable 
things of late. Hearing Neil deplore the 
shabby look of the old farmhouse, he had 
said it did need renewing in paint, plaster 
and paper, and that all this should be at- 
tended to immediately. At an auction sale 
288 


LIGHTER DAYS. 


289 


about tbe same time he bought a number of 
good articles of furniture, which added great- 
ly to the grace so well as to the comfort of 
the different rooms. What was to Alvira 
an ‘‘evident token” of some better spirit 
working in Mr. Gower was this : he sought 
her out one day and said, “Maybe you 
thought I was pretty hard about the time 
you ran off to nurse Tibbits. I was only 
keeping you and the girls within bounds, 
women are so hysterical. I meant to see the 
boy did not suffer. Now you can count up 
what you spent on his account, and I’ll add 
it to your wages. I shall not deduct any- 
thing for the time you stayed away, either ; 
for don’t the Bible say somewhere something 
about not muzzling ‘ the ox when he tread- 
eth out the corn ’ ?” 

Alvira was straining milk ; she dripped it 
over the buttery-shelves and dropped into 
the nearest chair, staring after the departing 
form of Mr. Gower. Not his quoting Scrip- 
ture, not even his comparing her to a beast 

19 


290 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


of burden, but his new kindliness, amazed 
her. 

‘‘ Papering ! 2)ainting she muttered, ‘‘let- 
ting Tibbits come home ! told me last night 
to cook him up something good ! and now 
this ! Folks go on so sometimes when they 
ain’t going to live long, or maybe it is the 
Lord bringing him to a sense of himself, and 
getting him where grace can convert him. 
I shall pray for that man as I never have 
prayed before; perhaps he may be made 
something of yet.” 

Neil and Janet, by patient labor and many 
artifices in the upholstery line, made Tib- 
bits’s former chamber into a quite attract- 
ive room. Little Bob aided by furnishing 
a lively mud-turtle, which he begged might 
also be provided with accommodations there, 
and could not see just grounds for a refusal. 
A creature that “flopped just lovely” ought 
certainly to prove an amusing companion 
of Tibbits’s “ hours of ease.” At last every- 
thing was pronounced ready, and the girls 


LIGHTER DAYS. 


291 


waited impatiently for a letter or for Tib- 
bits himself. 

Jessie Bromley came over the hill every 
day, and was as interested in their many 
feminine devices about the house as if she 
had spent her life trying to make economy 
agree with beauty. She and Janet had so 
many quiet chats that Neil might have won- 
dered what they had discovered between them 
of such common yet uncommon interest, but 
from many little things she rightly suspect- 
ed that Jessie was sowing the good seed. 

One beautiful day Neil had been to ride 
with Jessie, and returned about sunset loaded 
with spoils, for they had driven the little 
pony through lovely valleys and along quiet 
lanes where wild roses grew and many sweet 
blossoming bushes. They had trimmed the 
phaeton itself with vines, and tied clus- 
ters of red and white roses to the pony’s 
head, and altogether had spent a charming 
afternoon. Neil sprang out of the carriage 
at her own gate, and ran up the walk and 


292 


SILAS GOWER'S DAUGHTERS. 


into tlie front door, which stood wide open, 
as it seldom did. She uttered an exclama- 
tion of surprise as she stepped into the par- 
lor, for there, outstretched on the old hair- 
cloth sofa, lay a man — not her father, cer- 
tainly. He rose up at the sound of her voice, 
and it was almost a minute before she knew 
it was her brother. Then, after she had real- 
ized it, kissed him, shook him gayly to see 
if it were actually he, she stood back and 
studied his appearance. He had grown tall 
and thin ; a mere acquaintance would scarcely 
have recognized him. When he went away 
his face was sun-burned very red, and his 
hair bronzed to nearly the same shade. Now 
his hair was its natural light brown, and his 
face not only fair, but very pale. 

“ What ails you, Tibbits T' was NeiFs first 
question. I thought you were well again.” 

‘‘ I thought so too. I felt well after I left 
the hospital, but I have worked pretty hard 
since then, and last week I did not feel so 
well. I thought I would like to come home 


LIGHTER DAYS. 


293 


and see you all. I was so glad father was 
willing I should come !” 

Yes, indeed ! Why, Tibbits, you do not 
know how glad we are to see you! Have 
you seen Alvira or Janet?” 

haven’t seen a person. I just walked 
up from the cars, and felt so fagged out I 
dropped down here a minute to rest before 
seeing you all and getting excited. I’ll go 
on out in the kitchen now ; I hear voices.” 

What a commotion there was when Neil 
ushered him in where the family were at 
supper ! Janet and Alvira gave him a bois- 
terous welcome. Bob hugged him about the 
legs until he nearly tripped him up, while 
Mr. Gower cordially shook his hand. It 
was delightful to see the family united by 
a mutual sympathy and enjoyment. Alvira 
brought forth the best viands the house 
afforded, while Tibbits gave his father a de- 
tailed account of all his undertakings, and 
Mr. Gower said, quite unprompted, Well, 
now, you look pretty well run down, Tib- 


294 


SILAS G 0 WER ^S DA UGHTEBS. 


bits. You bad better stay here and rest 
until you feel natural again. A vacation 
does get to be necessary sometimes. Why, 
your face is whiter than NeiFs, and you 
are one of the red sort generally.’’ 

I think country air will do me good ; it 
ought to, as long as I was brought up on 
it.” 

That was a very happy evening in the old 
farmhouse. Tibbits had improved greatly. 
He talked freely of everything that had 
happened to him and of all in which he 
had been interested. After a while he took 
out of his little valise a present for everybody 
— simple for the most part, all but Alvira’s, and 
every one saw by the more valuable things 
brought to her that Tibbits was trying to re- 
pay her for all that had been done for him. 
She laughed and cried, and declared she 
would not take them. ‘‘ The idea of a young 
fellow spending his money for her !” But 
he appeased her after a while, and had time 
before going to bed to notice how much more 


LIGHTER DAYS. 


295 


cheerful and homelike the whole atmosphere 
of the old place seemed, and to wonder at 
Janet. Each felt a little shy of the other at 
first, but the sister was so much more sister- 
ly than ever before that the brother grew 
responsive. Alvira expected more than once 
to hear from Janet some characteristic speech, 
but none came, greatly to her surprise. 

Tibbits was very tired, and gladly went to 
rest at an early hour, but just before going he 
went to the open door and stood in the soft 
air watching the familiar lights in the village. 
Hisfather was just outside smoking, with Bob 
on his knees. Tibbits drew a step nearer, 
and the color rushed into his pale face, but 
he said with visible effort, '' Father, is it all 
right between us now?’’ 

All right, Tibbits ! all right !” said Mr. 
Gower, shaking his hand a minute. ‘‘We 
will start off on a new track.” 

The tears sprang to Tibbits’s eyes, and 
never since he could remember had his heart 
been so warm toward his father. As for Mr. 


296 


SILAS GOWER'S DAUGHTERS. 


Gower, lie was heartily glad the matter had 
ended as it had. 

Tibbits recovered very slowly, but his 
lingering sickness as it ran through the 
summer, was in its effects truly blessed to 
all the family as well as to himself. He 
openly avowed himself one whose sole 
trust was in Christ, and each day his whole 
nature grew gentler and more spiritual. 
Truths that had once seemed afar off and 
unreal to his father were brought vividly 
before him in those days, and Mr. Gower 
began to ask himself, “ What shall it profit 
a man if he shall gain the whole world and 
lose his own soul Janet learned priceless 
lessons of self-sacrifice in her care and grow- 
ing affection for the brother she had not 
loved enough before. Tibbits talked with 
her very often, and made the way of life 
very plain to her ; for Janet had actually 
taken the first steps in the narrow path. 

One lovely Sabbath in September, when his 
life-tide was at its lowest ebb, he fell asleep. 


LIGHTER DAYS. 


297 


Alvira, standing over him when he awoke, 
thought him dying. She said, ‘‘ Look up, 
Tibbits ! lookup! Kemember God’s prom- 
ises. They are just like the stars, made on 
purpose for the darkness. You did not al- 
ways know them in health, like folks that 
don’t look for the stars when the sun shines ; 
but they are all there, just the same. Trust 
God’s promises and don’t be afraid.” 

I am not,” he answered, smiling, but 
I do not think I am dying, Alvira. I’m 
only so weak ; give me something strength- 
ening.” 

From that day the boy grew steadily bet- 
ter ; every day he suffered less, ate. more, 
slept better ; then he began to sit up, to get 
into the kitchen and hold long conversations 
with the workers there, to take pleasant 
drives around the country; and when the 
first autumn leaves fell Tibbits was un- 
deniably well. 


CHAPTER Xiy. 


TIBBITS AND BIS FATHER, 

^NE day late in October, Tibbits an- 
^ nounced his intention of returning to 
his work on the first of November. Mr. 
Gower had been expecting the announce- 
ment, and in view of it had been turn- 
ing over a good many plans in his head. 
That night he sat up making careful cal- 
culations and arranging some matters of 
business upon quite a new basis. The next 
morning after breakfast he called Tibbits 
into the little room which had come to be 
named ‘‘ the office,’’ and put to him a great 
many questions about his work the last win- 
ter, his liking for it, adaptation to it, etc. 
At last he said, It is no use trying to make 
a farmer of you, Tibbits; and I suppose I 

298 


TIBBITS AND HIS FATHER. 


299 


can easily get somebody to carry on my farm 
when the care gets too much for me. I am 
not quite so smart as I have been. I expect 
I am getting old, like the rest of my neigh- 
bors, and so I am looking ahead a little in 
these days. Nobody knows when changes 
are going to come, and it is prudent to be 
prepared for everything. I suppose you 
must be cut out for the sort of work you 
have hunted up in the city. If you think 
so, you had better go back to it and make 
a faithful study of every branch and detail ; 
for I have a notion that if you get the whole 
thing into your head, it might pay to start 
some similar establishment here at the Cor- 
ners. Now you go back, peg away in good 
earnest, keep me well posted, and if you need 
any help let me know. In a few years, or 
just so soon as you can show that you are 
fit and ready for it, I will put in the capital 
and start you here in the same line of busi- 
ness. I reckon we can make it pay. In 
this case, you see, you will be here on the 


300 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


spot, where I can work you gradually into 
the management of my affairs, and if I die 
suddenly there need be no muddle in my 
business-matters anywhere. I have come to 
have considerable faith in you. But go 
ahead and show what is in you.’’ 

Tibbits was too grateful to be very talk- 
ative, but Mr. Gower was as well satisfied as 
if he had shown more boyish enthusiasm. 
Tibbits could scarcely realize after that that 
he was the discontented fellow who sat in the 
hay one year before and complained so bit- 
terly. How much he had experienced, how 
much he had learned, in that year gone by ! 
And more than once since Tibbits had con- 
fessed his hope in Christ he had thanked 
Neil for the few timid words of comfort and 
counsel that day given him — the day he ran 
away. ‘‘ I took your words with me, and 
I never forgot you were praying for me. I 
thank God for such a sister !” 

Neil rejoiced so heartily in Tibbits’s res- 
toration to health and to her father’s favor 


TIBBITS AND HIS FATHEB. 


301 


that she scarcely thought of herself now-a- 
days, and it was with surprise she heard her 
father say, “So Wednesday is your birth- 
day, is it?” 

“No, sir, but Thursday is.” 

“ Were you thinking of giving a party ?” 
he asked with a peculiar twinkle in his little 
gray eyes. 

Janet blushed, Neil smiled, Tibbits, who 
did not understand the allusion, said, “ Sure 
enough ! you girls never did have a party, 
did you ?” 

At that everybody laughed outright, ex- 
cept Bob, who nearly choked on a biscuit in 
his impotent haste to get out his twice-told 
story before anybody forestalled him. 

But without referring to the past, Mr. 
Gower said, “ Neil, if you want to invite 
your friends and their brothers here before 
Tibbits goes away, you may. I suppose your 
school begins soon, and you can have your 
schoolmates together in this way. Don’t 
be wasteful or extravagant, but get a good 


302 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


enough supper. You deserve a little treat, 
and Janet does too, for having managed 
things about the house pretty well all sum- 
mer. You girls will always find it pays to 
behave yourselves and not waiting to hear 
the thanks that followed him, Mr. Gower 
retired. 

Of course, Jessie Bromley was immediately 
taken into confidence, and for the next two 
days the old farmhouse was a merry place. 

“ We will not undertake anything so 
stylish we cannot carry it out, or put on 
any airs,’’ said Neil sensibly. “ We will make 
all the rooms beautifully neat, and trim them 
with quantities of lovely flowers, so that no- 
body will take time to see how old-fashioned 
the furniture is. Any way, it is whole.” 

On this plan the girls proceeded, and with 
success. When the evening came it was 
somewhat chilly, and a bright wood-fire 
glowed in the grate and threw a rosy light 
over the brilliant flowers of early autumn. 
Soon the rooms were filled with bright faces 


TIBBITS AND HIS FATHER, 


303 


and active forms, and not a discord marred 
the harmony. Mr. Gower gave all a cordial 
w^elcome, and Alvira walked around and 
around her tables, glorying in a supper that 
surpassed that one so hastily prepared and 
more hastily served by Janet. The guests 
were far less boisterous than on that former 
occasion, but their enjoyment was not less 
evident. Bob, of course, was overjoyed, and 
resolved to keep a strict account of every 
birthday occurring henceforth in that family, 
and to plan out a programme accordingly. 

There was a time, and that not so very 
long before, when Bob’s oldest brother would 
have thought such an affair as this, necessi- 
tating “good clothes,” polite manners and 
conversation, an ordeal not to be undergone 
without extreme terror. But in Tibbits’s long 
months of sickness he had been his sister’s 
constant companion, and had come to feel at 
ease with Jessie Bromley. He was naturally 
gentle and kind, and now his behavior was 
what it should be, on the principle of Shake- 


304 


SILAS GO WEB’S BAUGHTEBS. 


speare — that Never anything can be amiss 
when simpleness and duty tender it.” To- 
night, Alvira, peering through a crack in the 
door, wondered what he could be so earnestly 
discussing with Jessie Bromley. She might 
have known later, when Tibbits reported 
much of the conversation to Neil. At the 
time it went like this; Jessie said that the 
girls would miss him, but they were still so 
very glad to have him well enough to go 
back to work. 

“ Yes,” he answered. Only, Neil is a 
little — no, a good deal — troubled about one 
thing. She is too kind to say so, but I know 
it all the same.” 

Jessie unconsciously loohed the question 
she thought it not quite polite to ask, and 
Tibbits said, I have never had any educa- 
tion. She believes that I may make a suc- 
cessful business-man, but that I never shall 
know much about books. Once I might 
have done so, but, you see, it is too late now.” 

No, I do not see any such thing,” said 


TIBBITS AND HIS FATHER. 


305 


Jessie calmly. You cannot go to school 
and then to college, but you need not go all 
your life ignorant, nor feel that people are 
pitying you for doing so. To be sure, you 
are going now to give up your days to work, 
but I have heard you say it was nothing like 
as fatiguing as farm-work, and you have 
good long evenings, occasional holidays, 
besides the odd times of leisure that come 
in almost everybody's life. Now, suppose 
you begin, and as steadily as you can study 
the principles of grammar, mathematics and 
geography ; then read the history of this 
country, of England, then of Greece and 
Eome, down and out into modern history 
again. You know now, perhaps, more than 
you think, but by taking books where these 
subjects are clearly and concisely treated you 
will get all your old and new ideas in shape 
for use. Read books then that bear on your 
work ; you will like natural philosophy and 
chemistry, I presume. If you rest from real 

study, don’t read trashy books and sensation- 
20 


306 


SILAS GOWEFAS DAUGHTERS. 


al weekly papers ; get books of travels, dis- 
coveries, popular science and tlie best essays 
and poems ; then you will catch up and keep 
up with matters of real interest. Don’t you 
think it would pay to try such an experi- 
ment ?” 

‘‘ Yes, indeed I do,” said Tibbits stoutly. 
‘‘ Without any jesting, I believe I shall be 
grateful for this advice all my life. I thought 
the time for such study was all past, because 
I could not go to school. I never thought 
of being my own school, college and pro- 
fessor. It makes me think of Bob’s song 
about ‘The Crew of the Nancy Bell.’ I 
certainly will try your plan for a year, and 
report progress then.” 

“ Do,” said Jessie. “ But do not for any- 
thing sacrifice your interest in the best Book 
for the study of any others, or I shall be 
sorry I spurred up your ambition. Now 
be sure and tell Neil how profoundly I 
have discoursed to-night, and if she does 
laugh at me, she will be all the happier for 


TIB BITS AND HIS FATHER, 


307 


your good resolutions. Neil is a good 
student.” 

The pleasant evening came to an end at 
last. Everybody seemed to have enjoyed 
the efforts to make the party a success, and 
Neil and Janet could not but be satisfied. 
When the last guest had gone and the girls 
were admiring the still fresh flowers before 
going to rest, Neil said, I never had such 
a pleasant time in this old house before. I 
shall always remember this birthday and 
the treat father gave us.” 

Mr. Gower was locking the front door, but 
he overheard her, and the echo of her pleased 
voice did not in the least disturb his after- 
slumbers. 

Well, Tibbits went back to his work again. 
Neil returned to school, and life went on 
apparently very much the same ; but to the 
Gower family it was quite different. To 
Neil, Janet and Alvira it grew better, nobler 
and more satisfactory ; to Mr. Gower it came 
with new questions. He wondered every 


308 


SILAS GOWEB^S DAUGHTERS. 


day why, after years of concentrated effort 
in one direction, that of money-making, his 
energies began to flag — why his faith in 
maxims of life, long practiced, seemed to 
lose its hold. As his eyesight began to fail, 
his hearing to become less acute, and other 
infirmities of age crept toward him, he wea- 
ried sometimes of keeping in his brain all 
the details of his business. It was often a 
relief to put them all aside and hear Bob 
tell over his Bible-stories. All this time, not 
unknown to him, prayer was going up for 
Silas Gower — that before it was for ever too 
late he might add to his treasures ‘‘ the pearl 
of great price.’’ 

THKEE YEAES LATER. 

June 20 , 18 — . 

‘‘My Dear Brother: 

“ I am firmly resolved to write a long letter, 
for I have lately put you off with rather 
brief accounts of matters here at home. 
First, then, we are all about as usual. No, 
I must qualify that : father does not look 


TIB BITS AND HIS FATHEB. 


309 


or act quite well, but declares that he is so. 
He is pale and listless, and Janet and I can- 
not help seeing that his memory is failing. 
In little matters of business, where he was 
once extremely accurate, he is now so care- 
less that Janet has to remind him constantly 
of things he would otherwise forget. I do 
not know what we could do in the house 
without Janet. She is the most capable 
housekeeper that I ever knew. Father 
leans on her more and more every day. 
He has great faith in her judgment and 
her executive abilities, and, all things con- 
sidered, gives her great liberty in regard 
to domestic expenses. I think you would 
be surprised to see how cozy and well-fur- 
nished the old house has come to be. I 
could not wish for a more comfortable home. 
Sometimes I shut my eyes and remember 
the untrimmed, desolate yard and the bare, 
weatherbeaten house we used to see a few 
years ago. Then I open them to find the 
nice grassy lawn and neat hedge, the house 


310 


SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 


painted such a soft, pretty color and all 
over-run with ivy and roses, the barns and 
sheds so tidil}^ repaired. The happiest thing 
of all is that the improvement is not alone 
on the outside or confined to paint and 
polish. 

‘‘We are a very happy family now-a-days. 
Janet is, as ever, outspoken and full of life, 
but she is very firm in her Christian prin- 
ciples, and conscientious in carrying them 
out. It is Bob who is the lively member of 
the family now. Do you realize that this 
youth is nine years old, that he studies frac- 
tions, as I know to my sorrow, and that he 
has an opinion upon everything. Alvira is 
the same upright spinster, only more so. She 
sings more hymns to worse and worse tunes, 
reads more Bible, gives away more to the 
poor, and lives out her religion in every act 
of her life. 

“ And now is it possible that I have writ- 
ten so much, and been so humble and self- 
forgetful and modest, as not to tell you that 


TIBBITS AND HIS FATHER. 


311 


I have ‘graduated with the high test honors’? 
I had supposed that I was immediately to 
start out on my career as a teacher, but father 
said, ‘ No. I can afford to take care of my 
children for some time yet. I want you all 
at home, to keep the house pleasant.’ Shall 
I shock you if I tell you I was glad ? I am 
very happy to stay quietly here, helping Ja- 
net, teaching Bob, adding, as Janet says, an 
ornamental side to everything practical that 
she undertakes. She laughs at me, but I know 
that she enjoys the flowers, the pictures and 
the books that I manage to introduce, as 
much as I appreciate her pride in spotless 
linen and fine cookery. 

“ I can find plenty of work for myself, the 
rest of the family and the outside world, and 
as long as I am not shirking responsibility 
lam glad to be in a real home, such as I used 
to picture to myself when a very young girl, 
but did not expect to see formed from the 
old elements. 

“ When Jessie Bromley came in yesterday, 


312 


SILAS GO WEB’S DAUGHTEBS. 


I told her what excellent progress you had 
made in following out her plan for study, 
only that the one hour oftener meant two or 
three. She was delighted. I really think 
Jessie’s mission in life is to inspire people to 
do and to be the very best they can, and I 
am sure that is a noble mission. Alas! 
here comes Bob in despair over a sum that 
‘ will not come right, any way.’ We must see 
if it will not, and so ends my letter abruptly. 

‘‘Your affectionate sister, 

“ Neil Gowee.” 

One beautiful summer day not long after 
Neil’s letter to Tibbits, Mr. Gower came 
wearily up the garden-walk and into the 
kitchen. 

“Why, father,” said Janet, “how tired 

you look ! Lie down here on the lounge 

and rest yourself. You are not strong 

enough to have the care of the house and 

farm and everything else on your mind. 

Don’t you think you had better send for 
21 


TIBBITS AND HIS FATHER. 


313 


Tibbits ? You know he is ready to come 
any time.’’ 

Mr. Gower made no answer, but he lay 
down, and Janet put a cushion under his 
head before she left him. 

‘^Better take her advice,” said Alvira. 

“ It is pretty hard.” 

“ What is pretty hard ?” 

‘‘ Why, to stop short when a man’s life has 
been work, work, ever since he could re- 
member. When Tibbits comes and I say 
‘ Take my place,’ it will be the beginning 
of the end, you know. Yes, it is pretty hard 
to give up and let another do for us.” 

“That is just what it is, Mr. Gower; and 
it is as true in religion as it is in business. 
When we have been all our lives building 
up our own plans just to suit ourselves, it 
seems hard in exactly that same way, for 
there comes a time we can’t carry our work 
any longer, and our work won’t carry us. 
Then it is precisely as you put it: we’ve 
got to give' up and let Another do for us.” 


314 SILAS GOWJEE’S DAUGHTERS. 

‘‘ I have given up trying to be religious 
at all,” said Mr. Gower moodily. 

I’m right glad to hear it,” said Alvira 
earnestly. I have suspected that was what 
you were trying to be for months and months 
back. You must have had a weary, dreary 
time of it, too.” 

Mr. Gower winced a little, and turned 
uneasily from the light. He had not ex- 
pected so prompt an interpretation of his 
words. 

“ But,” continued Alvira, “ the Lord has 
been leading you, for all that — for all, I mean, 
your thinking you were doing something for 
yourself. You acknowledged once that riches 
did not satisfy you; now you have proved 
that self-righteousness can’t. If you are 
wise you will see now that the blessed time 
has come when you can pray David’s prayer: 
‘ Do thou for me, O God the Lord, for thy 
name’s sake : because thy mercy is good, de- 
liver thou me. For I am poor and needy, 
and my heart is wounded within me. ’ Mr. 


TIBBITS AND HIS FATHEB. 


315 


Gower, are you williug the Lord should do 
for you? Will you be saved?’’ 

Alvira, I am old and worn out, and 
getting stupid.” 

“ But the Lord is not. Are you willing, 
Mr. Gower?” 

‘‘Yes.” 

Alvira had brought him directly to the 
confession, yet she was astonished by it, and 
sat in perfect silence, one thought only in 
her mind : “ The Lord has begun this work 
surely, and he will carry it on now.” 

Mr. Gower rose up restlessly a few min- 
utes after, and went into his office. He 
spread open a great book of figures on his 
desk, and sat down before it to w^ork. Dol- 
lars and cents ! dollars and cents ! It came 
to him for how many long, long years all 
the freshness, all the hopes, all the desires 
of his manhood, had gone into dollars and 
cents. What should he leave behind him 
when Death called ? Dollars and cents. 
What should he take with him into the 


316 


SILAS GOWEPAS DAUGHTERS. 


great Unseen ? Dollars and — . No ! In 
the drear silence of that blank where his 
one answer failed crowded thoughts he 
could not endure. All his life long Silas 
Gower had dreaded poverty, but had never 
dreamed of poverty like this. He shut the 
book, and not once, but over and over again, 
he prayed in the words that, coming to him 
at the right time, had impressed themselves 
deeply on his tender conscience : ‘‘ Do thou 
for me, 0 God the Lord, for thy name’s 
sake : because thy mercy is good, deliver 
thou me !” 

'‘Where is father?” asked Bob an hour 
or so later. 

“I don’t know%” answered Alvira, “un- 
less he is in the office. Go, Bob, and call 
him to tea ; I have waited later than usual 
for him.” 

“ Come ! come quick !” shouted Bob in 
loud alarm a moment after ; “ father has 
fainted away and fallen over.” 

The girls rushed down the stairs, Alvira 


TIBBITS AND HIS FATHER. 


317 


ran from the kitchen, and Boh was sent for 
the nearest doctor as soon as Alvira had as- 
sured herself it was not an ordinary faint- 
ing fit. She did not plainly tell the girls, 
but she herself feared it might be paralysis. 
The doctor came promptly, and remained a 
long time. At last he said, You had better 
send for your brother, if, as you say, he can 
come as well as not. But your father will 
not die ; this is a very slight shock of paral- 
ysis — very slight. It will weaken him 
mentally and physically, but will not whol- 
ly disable him. See ! he is saying something 
now. Hear what it is if you can.’’ 

In answer to the doctor’s motion Neil put 
her ear close to her father’s lips and heard 
the words, Poor and needy — poor and needy.” 
She could not tell the doctor, thinking it the 
old fear of her poor father ; so only said, “ He 
murmurs disconnected words.” 

No one slept in the house that night, or 
even thought of attempting it, and by day- 
light the next day Tibbits had come. Mr. 


318 


SILAS GO WEE’S DAUGHTEES. 


Gower seemed then a great deal better. He 
slept, ate and answered simple questions. 
The next day he was better still, and after 
a few weeks the neighbors, who came in with 
friendly inquiries, declared they saw very lit- 
tle difference between his present and former 
state of health. But the family saw a great 
change in him. He had lost all his energy 
and restlessness, and was perfectly content to 
lie and doze, listen cheerfully to the busy 
life of the household or hear Bob’s boyish 
confidences with endless patience. 

He devoted one whole day to his business- 
affairs and to legal counsel. His money-in- 
terests were in perfect order, and a few mat- 
ters of form only were necessary to give all 
into Tibbits’s care and keeping. He arrang- 
ed that his will should go immediately into 
effect, and Tibbits as an independent man of 
property could commence his new enterprise. 
The girls came into possession of what seem- 
ed to them great wealth, while Alvira Hig- 
gins received, to her great amazement, a 


TIB BITS AND HIS FATHER. 


319 


generous token of tlie regard felt for her 
by the family she had so faithfully served. 
From that day Silas Gower seemed glad to. 
forget what once had been the ruling passion 
of his life — money-getting and money-keeping. 

For a time he did not speak of his own 
thoughts or his spiritual condition, but every 
member of the family remarked how much 
gentler he had become, how almost childlike ; 
still, the most of them attributed it to his 
physical weakness. 

One Sabbath morning in midsummer the 
family gathered together in the now cozy 
j^arlor, fragrant with flowers from Neil’s 
garden-beds. Tibbits — though by this name 
you could scarcely recognize the broad- 
shouldered, genial man whose face and man- 
ner showed no ‘‘ lack of education ” — Tibbits 
brought out the old family Bible — the Bible 
first owned by the Christian mother whose 
feeble faith bore fruit so long after her death 
— the Bible in which Neil first learned of the 
fruits of the Spirit.” 


320 SILAS GOWER’S DAUGHTERS. 

‘‘Father/’ said he, “it seems to the rest of 
the family, as it does to me, that we ought to 
have family worship. We have long prayed 
in secret, and our Father in heaven has re- 
warded us openly ; now we all want to love 
and to praise him together.” 

Mr. Gower did not speak at first, but they 
saw his eyes fill with tears, and he turned to 
Alvira, saying, “ It tires me to talk, but you 
can tell them what I mean. The Lord did 
do for me, for his ‘ name’s sake.’ My money 
is all given away now, thank God ! but I am 
not ‘ poor ’ or ‘ needy,’ and my ‘ heart ’ is no 
longer ‘ wounded within me.’ ” 

And so with great joy they knelt around 
the new family altar, and the angels rejoiced 
that not only Silas Gower’s daughters, but 
Silas Gower himself, possessed “ treasures in 
heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth 
corrupt, and where thieves do not break 
through nor steal.” 



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